SaaStr 761: How to Build Pipeline and GTM Alignment with Datadog’s CMO Sara Varni
10/02/24 • 29 min
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SaaStr 761: How to Build Pipeline and GTM Alignment with Datadog’s CMO Sara Varni
Sara Varni, Datadog‘s CMO, shares how to build pipeline and create alignment across sales and marketing. The CMO role at Datadog covers the usual aspects of marketing, including product marketing, corporate communications, events, partnership marketing, and solutions marketing.
While these insights seem like pipeline 101, they aren’t always implemented. Let’s look at some quick facts about Sara’s experience. She spent a decade at Salesforce before moving on to Twilio as CMO when they were at about $400M ARR with 30 sales reps. They had a healthy self-service motion, but growth was flattening.
About four years later, she joined Attentive as CMO, a late-stage startup in the SMS marketing space. Now, she’s the CMO at Datadog. Each of these companies had different GTM motions.
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Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code jason50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is sponsored by: remote.com
When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today.
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This episode is sponsored by: Anrok
A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.
SaaStr 761: How to Build Pipeline and GTM Alignment with Datadog’s CMO Sara Varni
Sara Varni, Datadog‘s CMO, shares how to build pipeline and create alignment across sales and marketing. The CMO role at Datadog covers the usual aspects of marketing, including product marketing, corporate communications, events, partnership marketing, and solutions marketing.
While these insights seem like pipeline 101, they aren’t always implemented. Let’s look at some quick facts about Sara’s experience. She spent a decade at Salesforce before moving on to Twilio as CMO when they were at about $400M ARR with 30 sales reps. They had a healthy self-service motion, but growth was flattening.
About four years later, she joined Attentive as CMO, a late-stage startup in the SMS marketing space. Now, she’s the CMO at Datadog. Each of these companies had different GTM motions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code jason50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is sponsored by: remote.com
When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is sponsored by: Anrok
A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.
Previous Episode
SaaStr 760: CRO Confidential: Rippling’s Top 3 Growth Tactics for Driving Revenue at Scale with Rippling CRO Matt Plank and Former CRO at Brex Sam Blond
SaaStr 760: CRO Confidential: Rippling’s Top 3 Growth Tactics for Driving Revenue at Scale with Rippling CRO Matt Plank and Former CRO at Brex Sam Blond
At this year’s SaaStr Annual, Rippling’s CRO, Matt Plank, chats with Sam Blond, host of the SaaStr CRO Confidential and former CRO at Brex, about Rippling’s top 3 growth tactics, which have led to the Rippling becoming a $14B company with several hundred million of ARR. A few years ago, Matt was making cold calls from CEO Parker Conrad’s basement, and he’s helped bring Rippling to where it is today.
The three growth tactics that worked for Rippling can be categorized into three different stages:
- Outbound
- Increasing closed-won revenue rates
- Serving customers and expanding revenue in the base
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SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet.
Join us in 2025 at:
- SaaStr Annual: May. 13-15 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Get your early bird tickets TODAY.
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This episode is sponsored by: Pendo
This episode is sponsored by our good friends at Pendo the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo brings together product analytics. Guides discovery and replay. So you can improve your product experiences for every customer and employee try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr.
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This episode is sponsored by: remote.com
- Ready to expand into new markets with confidence? Remote's comprehensive HR suite propels your growth from the ground up. From setting up new entities and managing intellectual property, to overseeing contractor compliance Remote makes scaling effortless.With their platform and partnership, your business grows not just bigger, but smarter. Transform your growth today with remote at Remote.com.
Next Episode
SaaStr 762: How to Build a Product Customers Love and Drive Nearly $1B in Revenue Along the Way with Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki and SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin
SaaStr 762: How to Build a Product Customers Love and Drive Nearly $1B in Revenue Along the Way with Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki and SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin
Klaviyo is the most awesome SaaS company you don't know enough about yet. :)
Join SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Klaviyo CEO and Co-Founder, Andrew Bialecki as they discuss Klaviyo's rise as a leading marketing and customer data platform for B2C businesses. Discover the strategies behind its growth, the challenges faced in expansion, the pivotal partnership with Shopify, and insights into successfully navigating the journey from SMBs to enterprise markets.
Learn about the company's IPO experience, the impact of strategic product development, and how Klaviyo became an indispensable tool for e-commerce businesses that has millions of raving customers and nearly $1B in revenue.
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Join us at SaaStr Annual 2025:
Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code jason50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is sponsored by: remote.com
When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is sponsored by: Anrok
A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.
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