E.119 - From Founder-Led Sales to Global Exit in 7 Years: The Complete Lifecycle w/ Simon Black скачать в хорошем качестве

E.119 - From Founder-Led Sales to Global Exit in 7 Years: The Complete Lifecycle w/ Simon Black

How do you take a tech startup from a raw idea, through the grind of founder-led sales, all the way to a successful exit? In this episode of WMYT? What Makes You Tick, we explore the complete "circle of life" of a founder with Simon Black. Simon, a UK based tech veteran with over 20 years of experience at companies like IBM and Autonomy, walks us through his seven-year journey founding Awaken Intelligence. We discuss the painful but necessary transition of letting go of sales, a unique "fly-in" strategy for conquering the US market on a budget, and the "FABRIC" of a winning culture. If you are a first-time CEO or founder looking to shortcut your journey and potentially double your exit value, this masterclass is for you. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE: • The "Fly-In" US Expansion Strategy: How Simon cracked the US market and secured triple-digit growth without hiring expensive local leadership immediately, saving £100k a year in the process. • Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales: The emotional rollercoaster of handing over the reins, the importance of a playbook, and why hiring junior sales staff too early was a critical mistake. • Culture & The "No Aholes" Rule:** ** Why Simon implemented a strict veto policy on hiring and how the "FABRIC" value system (Fun, Agility, Be the Best, Responsibility, Integrity, Curiosity) held the team together. • The Power of Partnerships: How shifting from 100% direct sales to a partner-led model accelerated revenue and led to a strategic exit. • The Exit: The reality of merging with a US firm and the final acquisition by Capacity to ensure a safe home for the team. 🔗 CONNECT WITH SIMON BLACK: LinkedIn:   / blacksimon   FOLLOW RICHARD WASHINGTON :   / richwash   Read Richard’s Newsletter Growth Magnet: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relati... 🔔 Subscribe to ‪@WhatMakesYouTick‬ 0:00 – Founder Journey Overview: From Founder-Led Sales to Exit 3:01 – Why Simon Built Awaken Intelligence (Fixing Contact Center CX) 6:49 – Big Tech to Startup CEO: What Prepared Him to Lead 10:06 – No Aholes Rule + Culture First: Hiring With a Veto System** 12:22 – Curiosity as a Sales Superpower: Learning Before Selling 15:20 – The FABRIC Values: Building a Startup Culture That Scales 21:40 – Keeping Culture Alive When Things Get Tough (Team Investment) 24:28 – Hiring Mistake: Why Junior Sales Hires Slowed Growth 28:44 – Hiring a VP of Sales: What Matters in Early-Stage SaaS 33:13 – Founder-Led Sales Handover: The Emotional Rollercoaster 35:34 – Sales Playbook + ICP: Creating a Repeatable GTM Motion 39:04 – Direct to Partner-Led Growth: Why the Mix Shifts Over Time 40:37 – When to Transition From Founder Sales (PMF + Lighthouse Customers) 42:32 – COVID “Wrench” Customer: Big Revenue, Not Repeatable 44:30 – Protecting Culture While Scaling: Fix Bad Fits Fast 48:01 – Multipliers vs Dividers: Dealing With High-Performing Jerks 54:06 – US Expansion Strategy: Go-to-Market Launch, Not Hiring Sprint 56:55 – Fly-In Expansion: Trade Shows, Visibility, and Trust at Low Cost 1:00:11 – Why It Worked: Remote Selling + Enterprise Credibility Post-COVID 1:02:02 – Speaking Slots as Demand Gen: Becoming the Trusted Advisor 1:05:29 – Betting the Business on the US: Budget Allocation + Growth Impact 1:07:14 – Partnership Strategy: Start Early, Build Slow, Scale Big 1:10:37 – Exit Story: Merge → Rebrand → Acquisition by Capacity 1:14:01 – What He’d Do Differently: Faster Scale, Bigger Exit Next Time 1:16:34 – What’s Next for Simon: Scaling Post-PMF Companies 1:17:22 – Wrap + Growth Magnet Newsletter #FounderLedSales #SaaSExit #USExpansion #StartupCulture #TechEntrepreneur #SimonBlack #WMYT