Investing in the Future of B2B Software with Andy Price

As Founder of Artisanal Talent, Andy is globally recognized for
having helped build, and invest in, some of the most successful
software startups in history. He has spent 26 years in the
industry, built two companies as CEO in the exec search industry,
and 2 years inside two of the top VC firms in the world (Redpoint
and Index).


He continues to work closely with, and learn from, the best VC’s
in the history of the space: Mike Speiser (Snowflake Founding
investor), Scott Raney (Twilio, Stripe, Hashi), Mike Volpi
(Elastic, Pure, Confluent, etc.), Ravi Viswanathan (Plaid,
MuleSoft), Eric Vishria (Confluent, Amplitude, Contentful,
Benchling), Pat Grady (Zoom, SNOW, etc.), Hemant Taneja (Stripe,
Livongo, Olive, etc.), among others. He worked for ~2 years at
Index as an EIR, 1 at Redpoint as a Venture Partner, and has been
fortunate to be a strategic Limited Partner of most of the top
performing venture firms.


In this interview, Andy discusses the world of recruiting and
talent acquisition in the software industry. He shares the story
behind the founding of his companies and how they connect capital
and talent to help build iconic software companies. John and Andy
delve into the changing landscape of recruiting, the importance
of specialization, and the shift towards consultative recruiting.
The conversation also explores the role of sales leaders in the
recruiting process and the common misconceptions about replacing
sales leaders as a company grows. Andy emphasizes the
significance of owning the recruiting process and investing in
talent acquisition.


HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT


[00:01:24] Introduction to Artisanal Ventures and Artisanal
Talent.
[00:04:36] Shifting search firms from transactional to
contributing to a company's success.
[00:10:47] Easy access to capital caused recruiting
inefficiencies.
[00:20:07] The four phases of company growth: product-market fit,
deal stage, scale stage, and maturity stage.
[00:24:08] We must plan for the future to avoid
disruptions.
[00:24:24] Balance between sales and implementing processes is
crucial.
[00:25:04] Continuity in leadership is vital for a company's
stability.
[00:25:18] Recruiting talent from large tech companies can be
complex.
[00:32:32] Sales leadership has become more complex and
analytical.
[00:45:22] Sales leaders should prioritize team cohesion over
just increasing salaries.
[00:47:37] Careful evaluation of the first CRO is critical for
long-term growth.
[00:53:01] The demand for enterprise sales expertise is
rising.
[01:03:34] AI can enhance candidate selection but won't replace
human judgment.


HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:45:22] "Sales execs sometimes resort to being transactional,
just offering more money, but that behavior eventually tarnishes
the team's reputation and trust within the company." - Andy
Price
[00:47:37] "Proper evaluation of the first Chief Revenue Officer
(CRO) is crucial for sustained growth, and rushing this decision
can lead to significant problems down the line." - John
McMahon
[00:53:01] "You have this gigantic industry-wide scramble for
enterprise talent... It's all about efficiency, cost
efficiency."
[01:03:34] "I think as soon as the customer embraces how they
would use technology to de-risk a hire, I think that's going to
be a moment that's very similar."


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
More tips for handling an RFP as a seller:
https://forc.mx/3ELMidQ
How to stack customer requirements in your favor:
https://forc.mx/48oUxdF


Learn more about Andy through this link.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyprice1/


Check out John McMahon’s book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064