AI, RevOps, and the Operating Model Problem with Anne Pao

Why RevOps Needs an AI Intelligence Layer, Not More Automation

Episode Summary Sandy Robinson talks with Sahil Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Rattle and Von, about what AI can actually change for revenue teams. Sahil argues that RevOps, sales, and GTM leaders are still in the experimentation phase, and that the real productivity gains will come from AI intelligence layers that understand business context, connect across the GTM stack, and help teams make faster, better decisions. Key Takeaways * AI has not yet delivered true productivity gains in revenue teams the way it has in engineering. * RevOps should focus less on disconnected agents and more on operationalizing intelligence across the GTM stack. * CRM is still the system of record, but the intelligence layer may become the more valuable operating layer. * Bad data should not delay AI adoption; AI can help improve GTM data when connected to calls, emails, CRM, and other systems. * RevOps is best positioned to own GTM AI strategy because the function lives closest to process, data, and execution. Chapters 00:32 Welcome to AI-Powered RevOps 01:24 Sahil’s Background and the Evolution from Rattle to Von 04:59 The Core Problem: Helping Sales Teams Sell 07:28 Why AI Became a Real Opportunity for GTM 09:46 Why AI Experimentation Has Not Yet Become Productivity 11:41 The Horseless Carriage Problem in AI 16:31 Build vs. Buy for RevOps AI 18:23 What Von Is Building for Revenue Teams 22:53 AI, Data Hygiene, and Fixing the Data Foundation 25:47 The Future of CRM and the GTM Tech Stack 30:08 How Teams Use AI to Operationalize Revenue Work 35:11 Why Internal AI Builds Often Fail 38:20 AI, Headcount, and Revenue Productivity 41:49 How AI Could Change the AE Role 44:51 Why Von Is Named After John von Neumann 45:35 Rapid Fire: RevOps, CRM, AI Strategy, and Salesforce Headless 360 49:21 Advice for RevOps and Enablement Leaders 50:42 How to Connect with Sahil Links Mentioned: Von: https://vonlabs.ai/ [https://vonlabs.ai/] Rattle: https://www.gorattle.com/ [https://www.gorattle.com/] Sahil Aggarwal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saggarwal2/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/saggarwal2/] Gong: https://www.gong.io/ [https://www.gong.io/] Fathom: https://fathom.video/ [https://fathom.video/] Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ [https://www.salesforce.com/] Slack: https://slack.com/ [https://slack.com/] Keywords AI-powered RevOps, RevOps AI, revenue operations, go-to-market AI, GTM stack, AI intelligence layer, sales productivity, CRM, Salesforce, Rattle, Von, sales automation, revenue intelligence, RevOps strategy, AI agents, sales operations, GTM data, sales enablement Sandy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/] Website: www.SandyElevates.com [http://www.SandyElevates.com] www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com [http://www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com] AI-Powered RevOps is a Sandy Elevates production. © 2026 Sandy Elevates. All rights reserved.

AI, RevOps, and the Operating Model Problem with Anne Pao

Summary: In this episode of AI-Powered RevOps, Sandy Robinson sits down with Anne Pao, founder and CEO of Ignite, to talk about what RevOps leaders need to get right as AI and automation reshape go-to-market teams. From AI governance and process mapping to enablement, ROI, build-versus-buy decisions, and the future of RevOps, Anne shares practical advice for operators trying to move beyond shiny tools and toward real business impact. Key Takeaways: * AI will not fix broken processes. RevOps teams need strong documentation, process mapping, and clear ownership before layering in automation. * Governance matters. Teams using AI without enterprise controls, security standards, or data boundaries create risk across customer data and GTM systems. * Enablement is not optional. AI adoption requires reinforcement, workflow change, and clear communication about how people’s day-to-day work will change. * ROI should go beyond hours saved. The real question is whether AI meaningfully improves funnel outcomes, conversion, revenue, or customer impact. * RevOps leaders who rely only on system ownership may be at risk, but those with judgment, discernment, and cross-functional alignment skills will become even more valuable. Chapters: 00:26 Welcome to AI-Powered RevOps 01:24 Anne Pao’s background and work with Ignite 02:20 Why fractional RevOps matters for growth-stage companies 03:51 Anne’s fun fact: food writing and restaurant reviews 05:22 How 20+ years in growth, analytics, and operations shaped Anne’s RevOps perspective 10:39 What feels different about today’s AI wave 11:23 AI sprawl, security, and governance risks 14:24 How companies should approach AI strategy and ownership 17:16 What RevOps needs to get right before AI and automation 19:08 Practical AI use cases: discovery playbooks and RFP workflows 22:37 Build versus buy decisions in an AI-powered GTM world 26:27 AI use cases creating practical value today 29:35 Common mistakes teams make when adopting AI 31:43 Why enablement is critical to AI adoption 36:56 Measuring ROI from AI in RevOps 41:23 Storypath.ai [http://Storypath.ai] and AI-assisted revenue storytelling 48:01 How AI may reshape RevOps over the next few years 54:25 Rapid-fire questions on AI in RevOps 58:06 Anne’s final thoughts on humans, judgment, and the future of RevOps Links Mentioned Anne Pao LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annepao/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annepao/] Ignite: https://www.igniteconsulting.co/ [https://www.igniteconsulting.co/] Storypath.ai [http://Storypath.ai]: https://www.storypath.ai/ [https://www.storypath.ai/] Keywords revenue operations, AI in RevOps, go-to-market strategy, GTM operations, AI automation, AI governance, RevOps enablement, process mapping, sales operations, customer success operations, AI adoption, revenue architecture, build versus buy, AI ROI, enterprise AI, GTM enablement, sales funnel optimization, RevOps leadership Sandy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/] Website: www.SandyElevates.com [http://www.SandyElevates.com] www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com [http://www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com] AI-Powered RevOps is a Sandy Elevates production. © 2026 Sandy Elevates. All rights reserved.

AI Enablement That Actually Works with Teri Long

Episode Summary In this episode of AI-Powered RevOps, Sandy Robinson sits down with Teri Long, VP of Global GTM and Partner Enablement at GoTo, to break down where AI is actually creating real impact inside revenue teams. From call intelligence and AI role play to manager coaching, partner enablement, and RevOps alignment, Teri shares how leading organizations move beyond shiny objects and use AI to improve execution, win rates, and revenue outcomes. If you're trying to scale enablement, drive adoption, and make AI useful—not just visible—this conversation is packed with practical takeaways. Key Takeaways • Start with the highest-friction point in seller or partner workflows—not with AI for AI’s sake • Call intelligence, coaching insights, and AI role play are some of the fastest paths to measurable impact • RevOps and Enablement must work together: RevOps owns the data foundation, Enablement drives behavior change • Test, learn, and validate is the framework for successful AI adoption and continuous improvement • Real AI ROI shows up in ramp time, win rates, coaching effectiveness, and seller productivity Chapters 00:22 – Meet Teri Long: GTM Enablement, AI, and Revenue Execution 04:30 – How Teri Started Using AI in Enablement 08:15 – Where AI Creates Real Value vs. Shiny Objects 13:40 – Call Intelligence, Buyer Insights, and Coaching at Scale 20:05 – RevOps + Enablement: Why Alignment Matters 27:10 – Quick Wins: Where Revenue Teams Should Start with AI 33:18 – Driving AI Adoption and Building Internal Champions 40:12 – AI for Partner Enablement and Scaling Through Ecosystems 47:25 – The Future of Enablement Leaders in the Next 12–18 Months 54:10 – Rapid Fire: AI Questions Every RevOps Leader Is Asking 01:02:30 – Final Advice: Start with the Problem, Not the Tool Links Mentioned Teri Long LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terilong/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terilong/] GoTo: https://www.goto.com [https://www.goto.com] ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com [https://chat.openai.com] Mindtickle: https://www.mindtickle.com [https://www.mindtickle.com] Forrester: https://www.forrester.com [https://www.forrester.com] Keywords AI in revenue enablement, AI-powered RevOps, revenue operations, GTM enablement, sales enablement, AI role play, call intelligence, sales coaching, RevOps strategy, partner enablement, manager coaching, sales productivity, AI adoption, revenue execution, GTM teams Bottom Section Sandy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/] Website: www.SandyElevates.com [http://www.SandyElevates.com] www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com [http://www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com] AI-Powered RevOps is a Sandy Elevates production. © 2026 Sandy Elevates. All rights reserved.

AI for RevOps: Practical Lessons from Zapier’s GTM Team w-Lindsay Rothlisberger

Summary In this episode of AI-Powered RevOps, Sandy talks with Lindsay Rothlisberger, who leads GTM Strategy Ops and AI at Zapier, about how RevOps teams can apply AI in practical ways across marketing, sales, CS, enablement, and analytics. They dig into CRM data quality, pipeline risk, coaching bots, renewal strategy, self-service reporting, and why the best AI use cases often start at customer transition points. Key Takeaways * Start AI where customer transitions break down, especially handoffs between marketing, sales, onboarding, and customer success. * Treat AI workflows like products: launch, learn, improve the data behind them, and keep refining the output. * Strong AI use cases in RevOps include coaching bots, call prep, lead classification, renewal strategy, and self-service reporting. * Context is the real advantage in RevOps, and AI becomes far more useful when teams package business logic and definitions into the workflow. * Planning in AI-heavy environments has to stay flexible, with clear tradeoffs and a process for changing priorities quickly. Chapters 00:05 Welcome and episode setup 01:29 Lindsay’s path from marketing ops to RevOps at Zapier 04:40 Fun fact: Bravo, Real Housewives, and work-life balance 06:04 How Zapier got started with AI internally 07:18 Early use cases: call prep, coaching bots, and chat analysis 09:11 Build vs. buy and embedding AI into workflows 10:27 RevOps team structure and AI use cases across functions 14:36 Using AI to improve customer transitions and renewals 20:10 Why context is RevOps’ biggest AI advantage 22:14 Cursor, Databricks MCP, and self-service analytics 27:15 Deterministic workflows vs. adaptive agents 30:07 Planning, operating models, and changing priorities fast 34:05 Data quality guardrails and avoiding “garbage in, garbage out” 36:06 Cross-functional AI work and enabling self-service 41:48 Coaching, enablement, and AI role play 44:03 Rapid fire: where RevOps should start with AI 47:31 Lindsay’s advice: build something and learn by doing Links Zapier: https://zapier.com [https://zapier.com] Gong: https://www.gong.io [https://www.gong.io] Cursor: https://www.cursor.com [https://www.cursor.com] Databricks: https://www.databricks.com [https://www.databricks.com] ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com [https://chatgpt.com] Slack: https://slack.com [https://slack.com] Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com [https://www.salesforce.com] Clay: https://www.clay.com [https://www.clay.com] Seismic: https://seismic.com [https://seismic.com] Keywords RevOps AI, GTM strategy, CRM data quality, pipeline risk, AI agents, workflows, adaptive agents, coaching bots, MCP, sales enablement, GTM automation Sandy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/] www.SandyElevates.com [http://www.SandyElevates.com] www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com [http://www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com] AI-Powered RevOps is a Sandy Elevates production. © 2025 Sandy Elevates. All rights reserved.

How Hassan Irshad Uses Claude to Drive Real AI-Powered RevOps ROI

Show Notes: In this episode of AI-Powered RevOps, Sandy Robinson sits down with Hassan Irshad, Head of RevOps at Unify and founder of Revfinity, to talk about how RevOps teams can actually use Claude in the real world. This conversation goes beyond AI hype and into practical application: win-loss analysis, closed-lost review, meeting prep, forecasting, pipeline inspection, and using AI to free up time for more strategic work. Sandy and Hassan also dig into a critical truth for RevOps teams: AI only works as well as the data, process, and context underneath it. If you’re a RevOps leader, GTM operator, sales ops pro, Salesforce admin, or GTM engineer trying to figure out where AI fits, this episode is packed with actionable ideas you can use right now. Chapters: 00:28 – Intro to Hassan Irshad 01:16 – Hassan’s RevOps background 02:49 – Fun fact: DJing house music 04:06 – What pulled Hassan into AI 06:25 – Why Claude clicked for RevOps 09:13 – Real use cases: win-loss and closed-lost analysis 11:46 – Conversational intelligence, Attention, and MCP 13:41 – Why context and guardrails matter 17:04 – “AI layered on trash is just beautiful looking trash” 20:02 – What AI-powered RevOps actually means 22:41 – Daily workflow automation and prioritization 23:47 – Meeting prep agents and proving ROI 28:45 – Where companies overcomplicate AI adoption 30:51 – Using Claude as a thought partner 32:18 – Using Claude for board-level presentations 34:12 – Biggest mistakes in operationalizing AI 37:40 – How AI will change the RevOps role 42:06 – Advice for teams getting started 43:25 – Rapid fire: where to start, ROI, and replacement fears 45:24 – Final takeaway: start small and iterate What you’ll hear in this episode: - Why RevOps is uniquely positioned to lead AI across GTM - How Hassan is using Claude for practical RevOps workflows - Why context from CRM, Slack, and conversational intelligence matters - How to measure AI ROI in time saved and dollars created - Why strong foundations still matter more than ever - What the RevOps role may look like over the next 12–24 months About the guest: Hassan Irshad is Head of RevOps at Unify and founder of Revfinity. He has spent nearly a decade building revenue operations across high-growth companies, with prior leadership roles including FundraiseUp, Zipco, and ADP. Links & Resources Hassan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-irshad-5b0a6840/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-irshad-5b0a6840/] Hassan's SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/29zjVRRdgoDHM8T2zf [https://on.soundcloud.com/29zjVRRdgoDHM8T2zf] Keywords: RevOps, Revenue Operations, AI in RevOps, Claude, Anthropic, Salesforce, GTM strategy, GTM engineering, sales operations, conversational intelligence, forecasting, pipeline inspection, AI adoption, revenue leadership, MarketingOps, Marketing Operations, AI in Marketing, AI-Driven, AI-Powered, GTMOps, SalesOps, Revenue Operations, AI-Notetaker, ChatGPT Sandy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyrobinson/] Website: www.SandyElevates.com [http://www.SandyElevates.com] www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com [http://www.AI-PoweredRevOps.com] AI-Powered RevOps is a Sandy Elevates production. © 2025 Sandy Elevates. All rights reserved.