C17 Lab

Head of GTM Engineering

Building out outbound plays for enterprise clients

Strategic GTM

Clay

Enterprise Partner

Monthly Unlimited Flows for Fixed retainer

Clay Certified Expert 

Unlimited Custom clay workflows for you for a fixed monthly price

24-72 hours delivery, one request at a time.

Free 3000 Credits - 

https://clay.com/?via=6f1999

Clay Creator

Instantly.ai

Certified Instantly Expert

Smartlead

Smartlead Certified Experts

Maildoso

Advisor

Persana AI

Monthly Flows on a fixed price


https://persana.ai/pros/utkarsh-rana

Persana Pro

Adyhere.com

Helping B2B SaaS Companies and Agencies Generate Leads while they sleep via AI-Powered Inbound + Outbound

If you are not from one of the above industries no issues, you just need to be a B2B business.

We do all the heavy lifting, you just attend the meetings!

$200,000+ in REV & $1M+ Pipeline generated for B2B clients via outbound

Website - https://www.adyhere.com/
Email - utkarsh.rana@adyhere.com

Founder

I help B2B SaaS Companies and Agencies Generate Leads while they sleep
$200,000+ in REV & $1M+ Pipeline generated for B2B clients

Unlimited Custom clay workflows for you at $2000/Month

I set content systems that:
-> Builds audience
-> Engage with them while heating their buying intent 
-> Converting warm leads with a high closing rate as the content did most of the work.

Then I use data from over 100+ sources to create smart strategies that find the right prospects. 

This helps your sales team connect with people who are looking for you.

Here’s what I do:
Build Content systems that build an audience
Build targeted lead lists
Set up and warm up inboxes
Write personalized emails & DMs
Manage full campaigns


The aim is to test 
OFFER-MARKET-FIT
TARGET TESTING
MESSAGE-MARKET FIT
PRODUCT-UNTAPPED MARKET FIT


--
If you're a B2B company that wants more demos/sales calls, go to https://www.adyhere.com/

Utkarsh Singh Rana

We don’t use Clay native waterfall.
Even though I love Clay
.
.
Why?

Because we needed full control

Especially around tools like Supabase, BounceBan (Verify risky emails without sending messages), and email domain filtering. 

So, I built a custom waterfall logic. 
We're now on Version 8 and it's been a game-changer for our GTM team.

Thanks to Enzo Carasso 🧲 for letting me spend $$$ on testing tools 😊 

🔁 Our Custom Enrichment Waterfall at C17 Lab:

1️⃣ Supabase First: 
Credit goes to 🦾Eric Nowoslawski and Bharatt Arorah for introducing me to SupaBase

We query by:
LinkedIn Handle (if valid)
OR Full Name + Domain
 This saves us 30–40% of our enrichment credits upfront.

2️⃣ Domain Filter Logic
 If Supabase gives us utkarsh@c17.ai
 but the real domain is c17.com → ❌ rejected.

 No mismatched domains. No noise in the pipeline.

➡️ What if Supabase fails?
We fall back to:
Apollo/CSV email (only if different from invalid ones)
Prospeo.io and Icypeas
But NEVER revalidate already-marked-invalid emails.

 🧠 That alone saved us 154,000+ verification calls last month.

3️⃣ Final Validation
 Every valid-looking email goes through:
✅ MillionVerifier
🚫 BounceBan (Verify risky emails without sending messages) (only if catch-all/invalid by MillionVerifier)

And we use request IDs to fetch final verdicts if needed as sometimes BounceBan gives you request ID

4️⃣ Bonus: ESP Detection
 We tag every email with Gmail, Outlook, etc., via EmailGuard.
 Helps in split testing emails as Outlook deliverability is bad.

5️⃣ Sync Back to Supabase
 Every enriched lead gets written back to Supabase with full data.

 No duplicates. No overwriting.

NOTE: When you cross like a Million records in Supabase, you'll get errors with LookUp as the data is too much

Use ChatGPT to figure out what schema you want with it.

🔍 How We Fixed the Lookup Problem
We use GIN trigram indexes, which are special tools that help Supabase find text very fast, even in millions of rows. 

They let Supabase search company domains and LinkedIn handles without slowing down. 

These indexes act like shortcuts that guide the database to the right place instantly.

Indexes that make Supabase fast:
➡️ emaildb_companydomain_trgm_idx — helps find company domains quickly
➡️ emaildb_handle_trgm_idx — helps match LinkedIn handles fast
➡️ emaildb_handle_eq_idx — speeds up exact LinkedIn lookups
➡️ emaildb_email_key — keeps emails unique and easy to find


⚙️ Other Automations We Use
➡️ Emails are cleaned automatically before saving
➡️ LinkedIn handles are generated on their own
➡️ Full names and email domains are created automatically
➡️ Duplicate contacts are blocked before saving
➡️ "created_at" and "updated_at" update automatically
➡️ All new records become searchable right away

Utkarsh  Rana 🧲

Head of GTMs @ C17 Lab | Top Clay Enterprise Partner • Sales Tech & Revenue Systems Optimization •

I would still be spending 40+ hours weekly if it wasn't for these tools.
.
.
1. Serper
 Scrape Google Search, Maps, and Reviews.
 → Build targeted business lists
 → Monitor reviews to gauge activity
 → Pull company data fast

2. n8n
 Zapier’s smarter cousin.
 Great for cloud automations and AI workflows—especially if you're technical.

3. Apify
 Custom scraping powerhouse.
 → Grab Meta ads, Google data, TikTok profiles, tech stacks - whatever you need.

4. ZenRows
 Most reliable and cost-efficient scraper I've used.
 → Scrapes full websites (HTML + Text) cleanly.

5. HeyReach.io
 It's Smartlead, but for LinkedIn.
 → Automate connection and message campaigns at scale.

6. SmartProspect (by Smartlead)
 Massive lead database.
 → Easily download leads—top-tier for outbound.

7. Clay
 The glue.
 → Integrates with everything to automate lead enrichment, research, and outreach.

8. Taplio
 Content machine for LinkedIn.
 → Helps you ideate, write, and post consistently.

 If you're not stacking the right tools, you're stacking unnecessary hours.
 
Will it increase your cost? Yes
Will it save your time so that you can re-invest it into scaling your business? Yes

Tools I use everyday!

I used to burn $$$ on B2B lead tools that overpromised and underdelivered.
.
.
.
The worst part?
Even after dropping $1K+ per month, I still had to:

Clean up lists and have 2 verification tools - basic and catchall verification
Deal with bounce-backs

Guess who my real ICP was as list contained leads that didn't match the filters I added

AND somehow protect my domain reputation...

And that was called normal.

The real problem?
Most tools aren’t built to prioritize lead quality.
They bulk scrape, charge you upfront, and leave you holding a bag of outdated contacts.
Their job ends when you pay.

But your job (booking meetings) is just getting started.

Now imagine you're an agency owner or founder...

Every bad lead = wasted rep time.
Every bounce = damaged sender reputation.
Every wrong ICP = campaign fatigue.

When your pipeline depends on cold outreach, these things compound fast.

You’re not just burning ad spend - you’re burning trust, time, and deliverability.

Shared this issue with the Smartlead and next 2 weeks, they launched Smartprospect

✅ 300M+ verified B2B profiles with real-time enrichment
✅ Filters for role, company size, engagement, and more
✅ Multi-step verification waterfall built-in
✅ Push leads directly into your campaigns (no manual export/import)
✅ Flat $59/month fee - and no per-lead nonsense

The result?
Better data. Better replies. Better ROI - all without risking your sender health.

C17 Lab is a proud Smartlead Partner!

Last week: a lead from Samsung ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gE8Ja-Y4
This week: a booked call with Intel.
.
.
.

No warm intros. No magic.
Just a clear offer, a sharp GTM motion, and a real solution to a real problem.

This isn’t luck - this is strategy.

Here’s what we know:
🎯 Who to target
 Enterprise teams feeling the pain - and the exact decision-maker responsible for fixing it.

🔍 What they care about
Not your product — their problem. Even giants like Intel have burning issues they want solved.

📞 How to reach them
 Right message. Right channel. Right timing.

Here’s what we did:
1. Refined the targeting
We reworked the ICP - especially headcount - to align with the client’s enterprise motion.

2. Rewrote the messaging
Enterprise-grade clarity, but still easy to digest and imagine in action.

3. Shifted personalization
We don’t care about their nearest KFC.
We care about their problem.
Messaging anchored in their challenges - not surface-level flattery.

The best GTM strategies don’t start with the product.
They start with pain - and offer a clear path to relief.

You’re not burning your TAM.
You’re not annoying anyone.

You’re stepping up with relevance and precision - and that gets responses.

If your offer can solve problems for Intel…
Why wouldn’t smaller companies take notice?

🚫 Stop playing small.
✅ Start executing like it’s enterprise.

That’s the C17 Lab way.

We made 40% fewer dials than usual for a client… 
And still hit the meeting KPI 🤯 for them
That’s not a fluke.
.
.


📅 On Nov 11, we dialed 40% less than our usual volume for this client.
 🎯 Still booked 4 meetings a day - exactly what we needed to hit target.

Here’s what I learned:
🚀 Quality wins if you don't have much quantity - especially when your data source is 🔥

BetterContact is turning out to be a total powerhouse for phone numbers.

I still remember Roman Hipp telling me they were rolling out Phone Number Waterfall.

 And I was like:
 💳 “This is gonna hit the credit card HARD.”

But nope.
💡 The quality, the hit rate, and the ROI we’re seeing - it’s totally worth it.

And I don’t even validate phone numbers manually.
Yeah, there are tools for that…
 But honestly?

📞 The only way to validate a phone number is by actually calling it.

Just like how Scrubby | Complete email validation validates emails by sending actual emails - max accuracy, no guesswork.

Cold + Warm Calls = 💘 
Cold emails + Cold Calls + Warm Calls = 👩‍❤️‍👩

recruiters… have you done your BD today? 👀

I’m a headhunter who helps founders hire Clay-powered GTM Engineers, CSMs, and Ops leaders who can actually scale delivery.

I’ve built internal teams for agencies like Growth Today, C17, and other top lead-gen and SaaS companies.

500 hours of interviews. 300 candidates screened. I know exactly what separates a system builder from a systems user.

Most agencies fail to grow because they treat delivery like a service instead of a product.
The best ones build teams that think in workflows, automation, and ROI.

That’s where I come in.

I headhunt operators who understand Clay, n8n, Smartlead, and CRM systems inside out. People who automate, optimise, and own outcomes.
Because a good hire runs campaigns.
A great one builds engines.

If you’re a lead-gen or SaaS founder ready to build a Clay-powered team that performs in 30 days or less, message me.

Your next hire should scale your business, not your problems. ⚙️

Noëmie Jacquemin

Yes… GTM Engineers can now earn up to $250,000 a year.

And every week someone asks me:
 “How do I get into those 6-figures roles?”

Here’s the truth 👇
Being good at Clay will not get you there.
Knowing outbound will not get you there.
Even being “fast at automations” won’t get you there.

Those quarter-million salaries come from something deeper:
The ability to build the entire revenue engine.

This is what the top tier is hiring for:

They want people who can:
 • Build GTM systems across Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo, Outreach, Gong, Clay, Snowflake and more
 • Design automations that replace entire manual workflows
 • Turn raw data into ICP models and account scoring
 • Orchestrate data flows across warehouses and GTM platforms
 • Support new product launches with technical GTM execution
 • Partner with Sales, RevOps, Product and Marketing
 • Own system health, governance, and adoption

This is not “I know Clay.”
This is I know how revenue works.

And when companies look for top GTM talent, they look for people who have:
 • +3 to 10 years in Sales, RevOps, or Business Systems
 • Real experience supporting the full GTM process
 • Integration experience with iPaaS tools like Tray or Zapier
 • Reporting and analytics depth
 • API fluency
 • The ability to translate business problems into scalable systems

That mix is what gets you the $100k to $250k+ range.
Not solo tools.
Not buzzwords.
Not a few Clay tables.

GTM Engineering at the highest level is not about “knowing the software.”
 
It is about building predictable, scalable revenue systems.

So if you want to reach the top of the market, here’s the roadmap:
Learn data.
Learn systems.
Learn revenue.
Then use automation to tie it all together.

Clay is the beginning.
 -> Not the finish line.

What would you add?

building Clay-powered GTM teams —​> GTM Engineer | CSM | Ops | VP | CRO | RevOps Leaders ⚙️

GTMe is hard.
RevOps is hard.
Automation is hard.

SAYING Nate,N8,NA8,n...8.....n,n8n. IS HARD. 

Pick your hard. 

Turns out I say "NA8" without realising, but one candidate said to me:
"It's ok, I call it N8". 

So I feel ok now. We're OK.

PS: Hit follow for more Friday inspirational posts.

If Clay disappeared tomorrow, would half the “GTM Engineers” still have a job?


Short answer: yes.
Long answer: it depends on which GTM Engineer you are.

After going through more than 50 GTM job descriptions this month, I can confirm…
None of them describe the same role.

And that’s because the market is maturing.

The GTM Engineer title is splitting into sub species:
-> The strategist who shapes GTM architecture with powerful copies
-> The technical builder who lives in Clay, n8n, and APIs
-> The automation expert building the internal magic
-> The RevOps brain who turns chaos into revenue logic

This is where it gets fun.
Because you are no longer “just” a Clay operator.

You are part of a new discipline forming in real time.
A movement blending sales, automation, data, psychology, and invention.

Want the full breakdown on where this role is going?

Drop “GTMe” in the comments and I’ll send you access to the live session I’ve been invited on by Ruadhán Ó Cúláin:
Thursday 4 December
16:30 to 17:30 GMT

This one is going to reshape how you see the field 🤯

I'm 29.

10 years ago, I was a pastry chef dreaming of becoming a head chef.

Now, I'm a founder, headhunter, and GTM specialist building Clay-powered teams for lead gen agencies and SaaS companies.

Here is everything that shaped me.

Leaving the kitchen world and moving into business management:
• Structure makes or breaks growth
• Leadership is not volume, it is clarity
• Independence unlocks ambition

Launching my first social media agency that completely flopped:
• Skill is nothing without clients
• Entrepreneurship tests your ego first
• Failure is data, not identity

Moving into recruitment and drowning for the first year:
• The market rewards consistency
• Sales is a skill, not a personality
• You learn faster when you have no choice

Building a recruitment agency seven years ago:
• Systems matter more than hustle
• Every placement is a tiny business case
• You become dangerous when you understand people

Healing from illness and rebuilding my life:
• Discipline is the real freedom
• Stress shapes your biology
• What you tolerate becomes your reality

Discovering Clay and GTM engineering:
• My brain found its playground
• Automation is the new leverage
• Operators are the new founders

Launching Rec Growth and helping founders hire GTMes:
• Talent shapes revenue
• Clarity removes 90 percent of hiring mistakes
• Founders underestimate the cost of the wrong operator

Starting my new agency from scratch in 2025 to prove my system:
• Walk your own talk
• A framework is only real when it survives contact with reality
• Stakes create focus, and focus creates results

You can build anything if you are willing to outgrow the person you used to be.

Let's say you were restarting your GTMe career in 2025, what skill would you double down on first?

Noëmie J.

Automation engineers are some of the laziest workers I have ever interviewed.

Just wrapped a search for an Automation Engineer for an Agency/SaaS business and here are the numbers:

1 week of interviews
30 candidates screened
5 introduced to the hiring manager
2 call process
1 hire
=> Offer out by end of week 💥

After dozens of interviews, the pattern was obvious:
They are “lazy.”
The dangerous kind of lazy.
The kind of lazy where if they see a repetitive task…
 it will be automated, destroyed, or rebuilt before lunch.

Give them a repetitive task, a manual loop, a clunky workflow…
and they will wipe it out of existence before lunch.

That is why they win.
That is why they scale companies.
That is why founders love them.

Because “lazy” in automation terms means:
-> They remove human error
-> They kill operational drag
-> They build systems that run while you sleep
-> They multiply output without multiplying headcount

What's one unusual thing you've automated in your work?

Comment it. I’m curious 👀

No one tells you this, but GTM Engineers don’t quit jobs.


They quit uncertainty.

Last week I spoke with 7 GTM Engineers from different agencies.
Who told me the exact same thing:
They want out.

Not because they dislike the work.
Not because they don't like their agency.
Not because of clients.

Because their commission scheme changes every month.
Or worse, they are not getting paid what they were promised.

And this is not a random case here and there.
This is happening across the industry.

GTM Engineers are in demand.
If your comp plan is unstable, unclear, or constantly shifting, they will not stay.

Hot market.
High salaries.
Zero tolerance for chaos.

A changing comp plan doesn’t just change the numbers.
It changes how someone sleeps at night.

If you want to retain your GTMEs in 2026, start with consistent, clean compensation.

Everything else is secondary.

I’m hiring across multiple GTMe roles right now. 

(If you haven't guessed that yet...) 

If you work in lead gen, RevOps, GTM engineering, or automation… this might be your moment.

Here’s what I’m looking for 👇

1. GTM Engineers
 For lead gen agencies across the US, UK, and EU.
 • 1 to 2 years agency experience
 • or 3+ years with Clay, automation, n8n, system ownership, and client delivery
 • Ability to build and maintain live GTM systems, not just theory

2. Head of Operations
 • Strong ops background in lead gen or SaaS
 • Experience managing GTM teams, delivery, onboarding, and internal systems
 • Strong operator mindset, data-driven, great with process and scale

3. VP of Strategy
 • Senior-level strategic thinker
 • Deep experience in GTM, demand generation, and client delivery
 • Ability to architect offers, roadmap, positioning, and revenue systems
 • Works closely with founders and GTM teams

Salary range:
From 50k to 150k depending on seniority, technical depth, and ownership level.

If you’re actively looking, open to a move, or simply curious, reach out.

Varun Anand dropped the “How to get hired in this market” playbook last night and…

HERE ARE MY MENTAL NOTES. 

I was at Clay Club London yesterday, surrounded by actual humans from LinkedIn (shocking, I know). 

Varun shared a hiring playbook so brutally simple that people almost ignored it.
But it works.

And it applies way beyond GTM engineers.

Here is the distilled version.

1. Forget volume.
 Spraying your CV on LinkedIn job posts is the fastest way to disappear.
 Everyone thinks “apply more.”
 The winners think “go specific.”

2. Build a list of companies you actually want.
Just like you build an ICP for outbound, build an ICP for your job hunt.
Who do you want to work with.
Which team.
Which founder.
Be intentional.

3. Reach out directly to the people who matter.
Not recruiters.
Not HR.
The operator or founder you would work under.
Lead with insight, not desperation.

4. Stop sending giant Looms with your entire life story.
If you were doing outbound, you would never send a 3 minute case study as the first touch.
You would ask permission.
You would hook them.
You would keep it tight.
Same logic applies here.

5. Show value before they ask.
This one hit hard.
Varun shared how they hired a YouTube editor who sent them a breakdown of what was wrong with their channel and exactly how he’d fix it.

No fluff.
No “please consider me.”
Just proof.

-> They hired him on the spot because the value was undeniable.

This is not “free labor.”
This is showing what you can do, at a small enough scale to give them a taste without draining yourself.

The truth:
If you want to stand out in 2025, you need to think like a GTM operator about your own career.
Signals.
Targeting.
Positioning.
Relevance.

Stop applying like everyone else.
Start prospecting yourself like a product worth buying.

What would you add?

Hiring is easy. Retaining talent isn’t.

Right now, the market is flooded with GTM Engineers, CSMs, and Operators.

And guess what?

Every lead gen agency and half the SaaS world is trying to hire the same people.

So if you’re lucky enough to land a good one, keeping them is your real challenge.

Here’s what I tell my clients 👇

1. The first week defines the next three months.
If your onboarding is messy, remote, or “figure it out as you go,” they’ll feel it.
Structure the first week.
Set goals. Assign a buddy. Shadow sessions.
Make it clear they’re part of something that works.

2. Clarity on commission and compensation.
If you change the structure, always change it up, never down.
Confusion kills motivation faster than any bad month of results.

3. Progression beats perks.
Don’t inflate titles just to close the hire.
When the honeymoon ends, they’ll realize there’s nowhere left to grow and start looking elsewhere.
Show them what the next 6 to 24 months could look like instead.

Retention isn’t about free coffee or fancy Notion dashboards.

It’s about clarity, communication, and progression.

Because in an opportunity-driven market, your best people won’t leave for money.
 
They’ll leave for meaning.

I’m not convinced most lead gen agencies will survive the next few years.

And I’m not convinced the outbound world we know today will even exist.

I say that knowing this:
I still meet 500+ headcount SaaS companies with no proper CRM.
So the market is not just broken.
-> It is uneven.

And it is changing faster than most people realise.

Talking daily with GTM Engineers, automation experts and RevOps leaders has made one thing very clear:

Outbound is not dying. 
The way we measure and execute it is.

Lead gen won’t collapse because email is dead.

It will collapse because a new level of predictive deal architecture is emerging.

Not just scoring.
Not just intent.
 
But deep, contextual understanding of:
 • market signals
 • company changes
 • product usage
 • social behaviour
 • micro and macro triggers

We are getting close to a world where your system knows the prospect is sick for 3 days straight because they posted about the flu, and instead of “circling back,” an AI agent sends something more human than your SDR ever could.

Maybe a chicken soup. 

I’m exaggerating…
But only slightly.
We’re closer than people think.

Should we be concerned?
Maybe.
 
Especially when so many agencies still:
 • avoid real CRM reporting
 • keep data in Notion or spreadsheets
 • have no visibility on how activities influence deals
 • run outbound like a craft project, not a system

Meanwhile, RevOps teams are building architectures that track every touch, every trigger, every influence point…
and they’re connecting it in ways that make old-school outbound look prehistoric.

That’s the gap.
And it’s widening.

The future of outbound won’t be about volume.
It will be about understanding.
 
-> Signal.
-> Context.
-> Intelligence.
-> Orchestration.

Some agencies will adapt.
Most won’t.

What do you see happening?

PS: I can be bought with GF brownies and matcha... in case you have an scraping my info.

“How do I get hands-on Clay experience if everyone only hires people who already have it?”

A question asked almost daily. 

And it's a valid one.
Because right now everyone wants a Clay operator with real experience…
but you need experience to get the experience.

Classic 🐓  and 🥚 

Here’s where I told them to start 👇
1. Get visible
If nobody knows what you do, you don’t exist.
Post on LinkedIn.
Share your experiments.
Don’t just say “I’m a Clay freelancer.”
Say “I can build you a 5k ICP list + intent signals in 48 hours.”
Make your value concrete so people can picture hiring or referring you.

2. Get scrappy with small projects
Upwork. Fiverr...
Pick up tiny gigs.
Real work > another “practice workflow.”

3. Join the right rooms
Clay Slack groups
Automation communities
WhatsApp groups
Founder groups

Start there. Stack win 🏆 

The hands-on part compounds fast once you’re in motion.

I’m not omniscient, so I’ll throw it to the room: What else would you add for someone trying to break into Clay roles right now?

I'm hiring for 1x GTMe +1 year exp, 1x Head of Ops (Agency exp), and 1x Head of CSM (Enterprise exp). 

I'm working from bed today.
I lie there like a Victorian child dying from influenza. 
And in this 'very mean'time, I'm STILL hiring. 

3 roles.
3 agencies.
3 opportunities you probably should not miss.

1. GTM Engineer (EU timezone)
+1 year experience in agency or running outbound
Salary up to €60k

2. Head of Ops (US timezone)
2 to 3 years agency experience building internal processes
Salary up to $100k

3. Head of CSM (US timezone)
2 to 3 years min managing strategic enterprise campaigns
Salary up to $100k

I will rise from the dead for Ruadhán Ó Cúláin’s live session today.

-> Message me for the booking link.

If you are interested or know someone who would be… DM me.

PS: Signal scraper, do not send brownies today.
Send soup. Thanks 🍲

Prediction:
2026 will be the year GTM Engineers and CSMs start earning six figures regularly.

Not just in SaaS.
In lead gen too.

Why?
Because the market has woken up to something simple:
These roles are not “tech assistants.”
They are revenue infrastructure.

A GTM Engineer who automates outbound, maintains deliverability, enriches ICP, builds workflows and plugs into RevOps is worth way more than a couple of SDRs hoping for reply rate miracles.

A CSM who drives retention and upsell without burning founders alive in client calls is not “nice to have.”
They are margin protection.

Competition for them will only increase.
Salaries will follow.

And if I were a lead gen founder, here is exactly how I would keep mine:

✅ Path to mastery, not a job title
They want to grow. Make space for it.

✅ Revenue share tied to impact
They scale your pipeline and retention. Let them scale their earnings.

✅ Access to founders and strategy
Talented operators do not want to be told what to build.
They want to build what matters.

✅ Autonomy with accountability
Micromanage builders and they will leave.
Ignore them and they will disengage.
Give clarity and trust.

✅ Healthy pipeline and meaningful work
Top GTM talent leaves when the business stalls.
They do not want busy work. They want velocity.

The agencies that keep talent next year will not win because they pay the most.
They will win because they treat these roles as strategic, not tactical.

2026 is not a war for SDRs.
It is a war for operators who think, build, and drive revenue.

If you are a founder, now is the time to prepare.

Retention > replacement.
Always.

What would you add to this list?

Thank you Sönke Venjacob for having share about the GTMe market 🙌

PS: Podcast link in the comments.

Clarification for everyone lost in my DMs: I recruit Clay people. I do not recruit for Clay.

But... really how I feel when I get applications for Clay 👀 👇 

HAPPY FRIDAYYY 🥳

Some of the most common mistakes I see GTM Engineers make…
also known as “the small things that quietly block big opportunities.”

On LinkedIn:
• No tech stack clarity. If I can’t see the tools you actually work with, I can’t tell if you sit closer to RevOps, Growth, Strategy, or pure technical execution
 • No tools list, no certifications, no upskilling signals. People don’t hire you because of certs, but they do trust you more when they can see your range
 • No bio, no tagline, no job description. Your profile shouldn’t feel like a puzzle. It should take ten seconds to understand what you do and who you help

In interviews:
-> The “Clay-focused” candidate who’s never owned a full outbound system end to end…VS. the operator who’s quietly shipped workflows, fixed pipelines, and built systems long before Clay showed up
 
-> The second group undersells themselves. The first group oversells themselves. 

The GTM market is noisy right now.

Clarity beats self-declared expertise every time.

Show your tools, show your work, show your actual impact.

That alone puts you ahead of most people in your niche.

What am I missing?

Me: "Start your email talking about them."

*Talk about them*
*Talk about them*
*Talk about thme*
*Talk about tme*
*Talk about ME*

"HEY {{NAME}},
MY COMPANY WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM BECAUSE WE'RE DIFFERENT."

Agreed?

If you want to hire a GTM Engineer before the end of the year, stop what you’re doing.

Here’s the timeline everyone forgets:
 There are 31 days before Christmas.

And I know what you’re thinking.
 “It’s fine. Holidays don’t stop hiring.”

Technically, yes, you can hire anytime.

But here’s the problem:
In about two weeks, the entire market slows down.

 Not because people disappear…
 but because coordination becomes a nightmare.

One founder is travelling.
A candidate is flying home.
Interviewers are off for team events.
Budgets need one more approval.
Final calls get pushed to “after the break.”

Suddenly your clean 14-day hiring process turns into +5 weeks.
Not because of lack of interest, but timing.

If end of year onboarding is the goal,
the window is now before the slowdown hits.

GTM Engineering is splitting into real specialisations.
Tomorrow we break them down live.

I am joining Ruadhán Ó Cúláin live to talk about the future of GTM Engineering.

We are diving into the real questions everyone is asking right now:
• How to get hired as a GTM Engineer
• How to hire the right GTME for your agency or SaaS company
• What specialisations are emerging inside the role
• What the career paths will look like in 2025 and beyond

If you are a founder, GTM operator, Clay power-user, or someone trying to break into the field, this is the conversation you need.

Thursday, 4 December
16:30 to 17:30 GMT

Drop “GTMe” in the comments and I will send you the link.

Hot take: Most founders don’t need more tools. They need better humans.

I joined Clay Club Europe Guestroom with Ruadhán Ó Cúláin this week to talk about something a lot of founders are quietly stressed about:

Who the hell should I actually hire for GTM?
And if you are a GTM operator… how do you become that obvious “yes”?

Here is what we covered in the episode in plain English:
1. What GTM talent actually is (not just a Clay hobby)
 We broke down the difference between:
 • GTM Engineers
 • CSMs
 • Heads of Ops / Strategy
And why “someone good with tools” is not a hiring profile.

2. How founders should hire GTM in 2025
 We talked about:
 • Why your first GTM hire depends on your bottleneck, not on hype
 • How to avoid the “Frankenstein role” that does 8 jobs badly
 • What a clean, fast interview process looks like for GTM roles

3. How operators can position themselves to get hired
 For GTM Engineers, CSMs and RevOps people, we went into:
 • What to put on your LinkedIn so you get found
 • How to talk about outcomes, not “I know Clay”
 • Why short projects and real case studies beat 10 certificates

If you are:
-> a founder wondering who to hire next for GTM
 or
-> an operator trying to break into or move up in GTM roles

This episode will save you a lot of guessing.

🔗 Link to the YouTube episode is in the comments.

Curious to hear: are you more on the hiring side or the getting hired side right now?

Calling all my GTMe network and Lead Gen founder... simple question but how many clients does one GTM Engineer manage in your agency? 

PS: Now that Cloudfare is down, I know you got time to spill the tea 🫖

How many clients do you or your GTM Engineer manage? 

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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The Battle

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