The RevOps Show

The four most dangerous and damaging words in any tech implementation: "All we need is." People want outcomes that come from low effort, cost, and things associated with a simple CRM build. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.

Jess picked this episode because "we cover some key things everyone should have in mind when implementing a CRM and what the real cost is. Doug and I also dig into how the status quo can impact the implementation." This episode is part of a series we put on. We'd highly recommend listening to the rest of the series.

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for listening and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Technology is not a solution. A solution is built around the jobs that need to be done, which at Lift, grows out of our prime directive: the business process should always drive the technology; the technology should never dictate the business process. This directive guides us in everything we do, especially in our view of solutions.

A strong solutions architect can be your competitive advantage, but as the role of RevOps has grown, the focus on "solution" and "architects" has multiplied in a confusing way. This episode guides listeners about the most important considerations (when something), which is why Doug chose to reshare this episode in this week of our Best of series.

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

The phrases "Let's keep it simple" or "all we need is" are things we hear quite often when implementing CRMs, but simple isn't enough. Your CRM also has to serve your needs; otherwise, people won't see the point in using the new system. To get there you must ask yourself, "What's the problem we're solving for?" The goal with this question should not be simple, it should be complete. Jess chose this episode for our Best of RevOps Show series because her and Doug dive into how you define what complete is, what the real problems are with your CRM, and how your problems impact your CRM configuration.

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

System design can either make you a winner or let you fall to the game of your competition. The choice is yours. We're continuing our RevOps Show "Best of" series with a pick from Doug on system design because RevOps is only as good as the design of its operating system. Put another way - your system is perfectly designed to get the results you're currently getting, so if you want to change your results, you need to change your system. But the problem is that you can't judge/assess your system from within it. This episode digs into what the critical discipline of system design means.

Questions discussed in this episode: 

•  What is system design? 
• Why is system design important? 
•  Why do we always go back to system design? 
•  Where do you start with system design? 
•  What are some of the biggest challenges that you run into? Where are places where people get stuck? 

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

So many are striving for the "perfect database, but what does "perfect" actually mean? A database shouldn't be judged by its perfection - it should be judged by its impact on your velocity, by throughput optimization, and by successfully achieving your revenue objectives. Getting to that database is half the battle, which is why we're resharing this episode. Over the next six weeks, we'll be sharing the Best of RevOps Show. Doug and Jess have selected their favorite episodes and can't wait to share them with you. 

From Jess: The pursuit or the perfect database is something that I really believed in for a long time. As I have worked in a myriad of databases over the better part of a decade, I have realized that the "perfect" database is a myth. I chose this episode because Doug really challenged me on this idea in this episode and we had an interesting discussion that might just change the way you look at your database, what to focus on and what a "perfect" or clean database really means.

Questions/Topics Discussed: 

•  What’s the perfect database?  
•  Why do you think focusing on the perfect database is a problem? 
•  What’s the key to having a priority? 
•  How do you know what the problems are? Where should you start in the journey if you want to be successful? 

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Source of truth vs system of record
Disclaimer: If you are a data scientist, please skip this episode because it'll be painful for you.

Questions/Topics discussed in this episode: 

• What is a source of truth?
• What is truth?
• What is sales and marketing alignment?
• What drives productivity when it comes to data? 
• The danger of source of truth

If you like the show, please subscribe and share the episode. For updates on new episodes follow us on:
Twitter/X: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator
LinkedIn: Lift Enablement, Doug Davidoff
You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. 
Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

The focus of this episode is on the three core sales pipelines of any business. To be clear, this episode is more about why there are three pipelines. Doug will be covering the structural problem from a go-to-market standpoint in terms of managing the functions.

Questions addressed in this episode: 

•  What’s the problem we’re trying to solve with pipelines?  
•  Why multiple pipelines?  
•  What are the three pipelines?  
•  What are the things you should think about as you put pipelines together?  
•  Why do you want to reduce the dependence on salespeople?  

If you like the show, please subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

In this episode Doug and Jess talk through the RevOps role and growth strategy. What they get into in this episode is the core of what it means for RevOps to be strategic. 

Doug’s Thesis: Whether companies are referring to what they’re doing as RevOps or not. 

Tactical RevOps has taken hold and it’s enabled companies to get better at what they’re doing. As a result, they’re getting weaker. Those companies that are at the leading edge of this phenomenon are the ones that are taking it on the chin the hardest. The proof: the environment that they’re finding themselves in today.

Questions/Topics addressed in this episode:

• What is strategy?
• Where do we play? Where do we win?
• Once you have a policy and strategy outlined/your hypothesis outlined, what are the things you need to consider?
• Intent dynamics
• What are the other dangers as you build out a strategy? 
• What do you need to get strategy right? 

If you like the show, please subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Dive into the complex world of RFPs and why they fail for CRMs. The conversation is a deep dive into why businesses choose RFPs, where they fail when it comes to CRMs, and suggestions for rethinking the approach. Doug emphasizes moving away from only focusing on technical requirements and points to a more business processes-focused approach.

Not to mention this HOT TAKE🔥from Doug: The best that RFPs fail is when they make it too complicated and you end up not making a decision.

Topics and Questions Covered: 

• Why do RFPs exist?
• Why do RFPs for CRMs often fail? 
• What's wrong with technical requirements? 
• Why don't we throw out the RFP?

If you like the show, please subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Some important pre-show questions for everyone: 

• What if we had a cow hosting?
• Why are hotel doors so freaking heavy and thick, yet the walls are like paper?
• Should we start a true murder podcast?
• Have you seen the new episodes of Black Mirror?

After you answer these questions or debate these questions in your head, we’ll get into the actual focus of this episode: the good, the bad & the ugly of scoreboards.

Actual Questions/Topics that are Discussed This Episode: 

• What’s the reason to have a scoreboard? What’s the pro of having an official scoreboard with metrics that are tracked by the organization?
• What’s the downside of putting a scoreboard in place? What are some of the negative impacts?
• Why have metrics?
• An inside look into the changes Lift made to the scoreboard.
• Why Doug is struggling with the concept of incentive compensation.

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Thank you to all our listeners for tuning into each episode and letting us have fun every week with the show. We aren’t going anywhere, but we’ve reached episode 60 and thought we’d let you know how much we appreciate you.

If you haven’t watched the video part of the show, the intro is worth it. The sheer look of surprise and confusion that Jess experiences with Doug’s intro is priceless. 

A while ago Doug told Jess we were building a machine designed for greater velocity which ties into our actual topic today. Yes, this is the first time we’ve connected our opening to the topic - I’m very proud. Today Doug and Jess are getting into data structure and architecture and the right approach to defining it. The reason why? Because we’ve had the experiences (from the earlier conversation) and have always had a focus on data structure. 

Questions/Topics Discussed in Today's Episode:

• Can you describe our approach on how we look at data architecture and how that’s unique? 
• Before we are even thinking about the database, before we think about what’s our entity relationship diagram, we have to determine what job is being supported.
• Examples of industries and how to look at their data structures.

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

It’s officially summer, kids are off and at camp, the writer strike is still happening which is causing a lot of questions for Deadpool, and there’s a lot of talk about Ryan Reynolds. BUT that’s not what we’re here to discuss. Today Jess and Doug dig into developing and building a sales pipeline.

Questions Discussed in This Episode:

• What is the purpose of a pipeline?
• When are two pipelines better than one? 
• How do you go about picking your stages for your pipeline?
• As you're putting your stages together, how do you make sure that it's set up to get the right reporting? 
• How many stages are too many? How many stages are too few?
• How do you launch it? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Let’s all pretend we’re sitting with a drink in hand listening to the waves crash as Doug and Jess talk through thought leadership versus point-of-view insights. We’re putting thought leadership on trial today.

Questions Discussed in Today's Episode: 

• What is a point-of-view insight?
• Why do point-of-view insights cause people to change their course?
• Is search the only benefit to thought leadership? Are there any other benefits to thought leadership outside of driving search?
• Why choose 3-5 insights?
• How do you go about picking insights? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Anyone else feel like time is weird lately. According to Doug, in the world of fast growth, an hour is a day, a day is a week, a week is a month, a month is a quarter, and a quarter is a year. No wonder we’re all exhausted!

The work doesn’t stop, though a nap would be nice! Today’s episode may be allowed to turn into a rant (spoiler alert it doesn’t), it’s all about whether the status quo is your real adversary in sales.

Questions Discussed in Today's Episode: 

•  How is status quo different from indecision? 
•  Is the status quo the enemy from the perspective of RevOps responsibility and the company trying to drive change within the sales organization? 
•  Does the status quo = no change? 
•  Just because you stick with the status quo, does that mean two weeks from now there’s not going to be any change anywhere? 
•  Is the status quo our enemy? 
•  Do we need to change everything? 
•  What happens if the internet becomes illegal?  

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Today is all about this concept of red work versus blue work. We might as well call this episode “The Lost Episode” because about a year ago Doug and Jess talked about this topic before for about 49 minutes until Doug realized that he forgot to hit the record button. BUT that’s okay because this ended up being a better episode.

Questions/Topics Discussed: 

• What is red work and blue work? Where does this concept come from? 
• Why is red work about speed and blue work about velocity?
• Should you do red work and blue work simultaneously?
• One word to describe blue work would be pause.
• There is no such thing as “wrong” in blue work.
• How does red work and blue work play into RevOps? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

We’re going off the rails again in this episode with another topic by Doug who ended up naming the episode before it even began - Bringing a Value Mindset to RevOps: A Rant. Why is Doug worried about RevOps? His rant will fill you in.

Questions/Topics Discussed Today:

•  What is the purpose of RevOps? What’s the underlying why of RevOps?  
• The flywheel effect
• The two schools of thought in the investing world
•  Doug would love to know for any RevOps people listening to this, how many of you have a tech stack smaller than you did when you started? 
•  Do you know what the number one reason that businesses with strong growth potential never realize that growth? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

It’s been a little too quiet over here for our liking. We’ve had a pretty interesting few weeks at Lift and haven’t been able to record, but Doug and Jess are back and stronger than ever! Even with the dongle problem that Jess ran into right before this recording, nothing can stop us from getting you another episode.

Our topic of the day – the role of people in a RevOps world. A topic from the one and only, Doug Davidoff.

Questions/Topics Discussed in Today's Episode: 

• What if you hire A players? (The kind of people that can succeed even when there isn’t a defined process.) Do you still need to build the same level of structure and process? What’s the role of people? 
• Is a group of all A Players what you would want?
• Is Doug an A player? 
• To be able to get the best people, why would you not put the best people in a position where they can best utilize their talents? 
• Do people matter? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

We’re talking about how to create your ideal tech stack. As a reminder when we look at the tech stack, we want to hire technology, not buy it.

Questions discussed in today's episode:

• When we talk about hiring technology, what does that mean?
• Why is creating a job description for technology important? 
• What’s wrong with 98% of tech requirement documents? 
•  How do you avoid the tech debt trap?
• What is the biggest cause of tech debt? 
• Can you address every piece of tech debt? 
• How frequently should your tech stack be reviewed? 
• What do you do when you’re reviewing your tech stack? How do you review?
• Once you’ve done your review, how do you triage what to do?

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

Today’s topic: performance management and the difference between managing, training, and coaching. The other reason we’re calling out managing, training, and coaching today is that these terms get used synonymously.

Questions discussed in this episode: 

• What is performance management? 
• What is managing? 
• What are the key pieces of training and what does that look like? 
• Why do you see performance improvement to begin with? 
• What is coaching? 
• Why do we end up conflating managing, coaching, and training?
• Why fear and laziness? 

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.

This episode is all about opening a can of worms with revenue intelligence and how it impacts RevOps. AI is a hot topic currently, revenue intelligence is part of that and Jess thought it would be timely.

Questions discussed in this episode:

• What’s the definition of Revenue Intelligence?
• Jess saw in a lot of places that implementing revenue intelligence into your RevOps strategy is critical. Is that true?
• Did you know there is no data you can use from the future today? 
• Who has good revenue intelligence systems?

If you're liking the show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and/or coworkers. Follow us on Twitter: @dougdavidoff, @JessDCardenas & @demandcreator to receive updates on when new episodes publish or to get other great insights. You can also watch the video version of the show on our page. Thanks for watching and remember you can't solve your upstream problems, downstream.