Bluebird

As Managing Partner IT at Bluebird Recruitment, I am responsible for building out our IT recruitment team with ex-industry experts and connecting top IT talent with leading companies throughout Europe. 

We focus on various IT areas, from software development, cloud & infrastructure, data science & engineering, product roles and more. 

Determined to transform the recruitment space, my goal is to integrate authentic industry expertise, fundamentally changing the sector. By utilising my technical background and understanding of the industry, I am committed to making an impact.

Managing Partner IT

ASML

At ASML, a leader in the semiconductor industry, I contributed to developing a platform designed to provide insights into machine operations. This platform played a crucial role in monitoring for errors, facilitating timely fixes, and employing artificial intelligence to anticipate potential failures.

Due to the proprietary and sensitive nature of the technology and processes at ASML, much of the detailed information about my role and the project specifics is classified. This experience has honed my skills in handling confidential data and working within strict operational security guidelines, reinforcing the importance of discretion and integrity in high-stakes environments.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮, 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗘𝗻𝗴.

Senior Fullstack Engineer

Alphabet Nederland

At Alphabet Lease (part of BMW Group), a leasing company, my role involved developing modular components for a complex system and leading several frontend projects. As a Chapter Lead I spearheaded technical innovation within our eco-system. This included conducting Angular upgrades and enhancing the codebase for better performance. The frontend team, comprising 10 members, was responsible for overseeing and managing 20 separate Angular projects, each an individual application.

I also contributed to the refactoring of a key application, transitioning it to a monorepo structure with Nx to improve maintainability and scalability. 

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮, 𝗞𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀

Frontend Chapter Lead

Lyfo

At Lyfo, a provider of advanced mobile coverage solutions critical for ensuring reliable communication, I developed an Angular application made for configuring the backend for their clients, including the Dutch police. The code that was written is quality tested by an external party and was found to be excellent.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺 (𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲)

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗚𝗼, 𝗞𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀

Lead Frontend Engineer

Datlinq

At DatLinq, a Dutch company known for its data solutions in the foodservice industry, I worked on the SaaS platform (DOX). My responsibilities included the development and enhancement of Data Outlet X and Salesmapp API. This platform gave our clients in the foodservice market data-driven decision making capabilities.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 & 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝟴+, 𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮, 𝗚𝗼𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴, 𝗡𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗤𝗟

Lead Fullstack Engineer

Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport

Increasing mobility of citizens between EU countries results in a growing number of people seeking healthcare outside their own region or country. To facilitate the exchange of patient data among countries, the European Union collaborates with member states on an international infrastructure known as eHealth Digital Services & Infrastructure (eHDSI). The Netherlands is integrating into this system of national contact points with its own national contact point called the National Contact Point for eHealth (NCPeH). Through the NCPeH, healthcare professionals can digitally retrieve patient summaries from patients in EU countries requiring unplanned care in the Netherlands.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮, 𝗞𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗡𝗖𝗣.

codecentric Nederland B.V.

Codecentric is a consultancy firm. Since the start I have worked on one project:
Project: MOJO (Read below)

Fullstack Engineer

Mojo Concerts

At MOJO Concerts, a leading promoter of live music and entertainment events, I was tasked with developing an application named UNA. UNA is designed to streamline event access control, scheduling, and workflow management, playing a critical role in enhancing the operational efficiency of live events. This application utilizes a modern tech stack and leverages cloud-based solutions to ensure scalability and reliability.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗡𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗤𝗟, 𝗖𝘆𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗚𝗖𝗣, 𝗔𝗪𝗦

Working while being a student

During my studies, to gain practical experience, I wanted to work. I faced the challenge that no company was willing to hire me part-time. Driven by resilience and determination, I didn't let this stop me. Instead, I chose to start my own freelancing 'company' as a way to gain that experience. I've worked on a variety of projects, ranging from small websites for local artists to large-scale applications like a planning system for a major transportation company. This experience has given me a versatile skill set, making me broadly deployable in various IT roles.

The tech stack I've used includes: WordPress, PHP, Laravel, JavaScript, AngularJS, Angular, React, HTML/CSS, and React Native.

As a former developer, I redefine the kind of developer you think you’re looking for and see beyond the resume to ensure you hire the real deal.

If you're a developer or hiring manager, feel free to send me a message on work related things.

If you're a human being you can always send me a message with anything random because I like engaging with you nonetheless 😉

🚀 Dennis van Valderen

Head of Benelux @Personio | Unlock the Power of Your People

Over the past 12 years in SaaS, I’ve seen firsthand where most Founders and Revenue leaders fail: 

- No structured Go-To-Market strategy → Running multiple GTM motions at once. Growth stalls, especially beyond the home market.
- No consistent sales process → Relying on individual performance instead of repeatable systems. No scalable growth engine.
- No clear revenue insights → Looking at blended metrics instead of pinpointing what drives conversions. Low rep productivity, declining ARR per FTE.

I get it. Day-to-day operations take over, and revenue inefficiencies stack up.

The bad news? You’re responsible for fixing it.

The good news? I can help you and your SaaS business.

How I help B2B SaaS teams ($5M-$25M ARR) scale faster:

- GTM & Sales Strategy – Structuring inbound, outbound, and partner strategies across SMB, Mid-Market, and Enterprise.
- Sales Process Optimization – Improving conversion rates and reducing reliance on top performers.
- Playbooks & Execution – Building structured systems, coaching frameworks, and checklists for consistent revenue growth.
- High-Performing Teams – Hiring, developing, and structuring commercial teams with clear accountability.

Results I’ve helped drive:

→ Increased sales team efficiency by 2X through scalable sales team structuring and skill development frameworks.

→ Improved win rates to 25% by implementing structured tactical and operational Go-To-Market tactics.

→ Built GTM playbooks that accelerated ARR growth for early-stage and scaling SaaS companies to $10M ARR.

How we can work together: 

1. Coaching & Advisory – Hands-on support to build a scalable sales engine.
2. On-Demand Sessions – Solving your biggest sales execution challenges.
3. GTM Playbooks & Frameworks – Proven templates for predictable growth.

Scaling isn’t about luck. It’s about building the right systems.

What’s blocking your revenue growth today? Let’s fix it.

DM me and let’s chat.

Koen Stam

Yesterday, something powerful happened at our UKI sales kickoff. The people who once joined us as SDRs led the entire program.

They built the workshops, analyzed the data, and ran the room with confidence and ownership. Their leader sat in the audience, proud and learning from the people he helped grow.

That’s what real enablement looks like.

Most teams talk about developing people.
Few actually let them lead. It takes trust, preparation, and a willingness to give up control.

When that happens, something changes.
People stop waiting for direction and start moving with purpose. They begin to see the business as their own.

If you want to build that kind of culture, start small and make it a system.

Here’s how we approach it:

1. Rotate ownership early.
Let team members lead parts of meetings or projects before they feel ready.
Growth starts with small moments of trust.

2. Design for visibility.
Give your team a stage in internal sessions, workshops, and kickoffs.
Growth accelerates when people are seen.

3. Coach, don’t script.
Replace detailed instructions with clear outcomes.
Let people find their own voice in how they deliver.

4. Celebrate the process, not perfection.
Reward preparation, initiative, and effort, not just results.
Confidence builds when progress is noticed.

5. Keep it consistent.
Leadership development works when it’s repeated, not remembered once a year.
Make it part of how you operate.

Watching Lee, Lenia and Conor lead the room was a reminder. Growth happens when leaders build trust and dare to step aside. That’s how you turn potential into performance and teams into leaders.

Leading International @Personio | Building community @Pavilion | Architecting Growth @Winning By Design | Showing revenue teams what’s next @GTM OS

10 Go-To-Market newsletters you must read in 2026 ↓

 1. Growth Unhinged 
    👤 Kyle Poyar 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/eBWwrhd4
    
 2. Saastr AI: How to Sell, Scale, and Win
    👤 Jason M. Lemkin 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/e9EupbZ5
    
 3. The GTMnow Newsletter
    👤 Sophie Buonassisi 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/etj2kTku?
    
 4. The Revenue Leadership Podcast
    👤 Kyle Norton 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/eW57TFJf
    
 5. GTM Strategist
    👤 Maja Voje 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/eEQax9dJ
    
 6. Marketing in Action 
    👤 Kieran Flanagan 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/eFaKMTC2
    
 7. Full-Funnel B2B Marketing
    👤 Andrei Zinkevich 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/ej7DP4dg
    
 8. Brian Balfour
    👤 Brian Balfour 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/eMqCh58a
    
 9. GTMonday by GTM Partners
    👤 Sangram Vajre 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/euedjbkb
    
10. Greg’s Letter
    👤 Greg Isenberg 
    🔗 https://lnkd.in/ei8DwXFY

Which GTM newsletter would you add to this list?

I’m excited to share that André and I have made our first angel investment in the co-founders of ImpactPilot, Pieter and Konstantin.

Churn is a company problem, not a CS problem.

For years every company obsessed over new business growth.
But in 2026 the KPI that defines long-term growth is Retention.

It is not about how fast you can add customers.
It is about how deeply you can serve the ones who already chose you.

We should be focusing on
• Treating churn as a company-wide issue
• Proactively improving retention rates
• Preventing churn before it happens

Because when you do, it shows up directly in ARR.

Still too many leaders see Customer Success as a reactive function.
You hear it all the time.
Our CS team is too reactive.
They are firefighting.
They are not commercial enough.
I do not know what they do every day.

The truth is that most CS teams are measured on the wrong things.
Lagging indicators like NRR, GRR, expansion, or upsell.
Activity metrics like calls, meetings, and emails.

But between those two sits something critical, the impact drivers.
The actions that actually move customers toward success and retention.

That is where ImpactPilot comes in.

ImpactPilot helps B2B SaaS teams identify and act on those impact drivers.
They build inside HubSpot to reduce churn, uncover upsell opportunities, and make customer data finally work for CS teams.

I have worked with Pieter and Konsti for years.
They know this space inside out and bring a rare mix of commercial thinking and deep customer empathy.

Retention is not a metric. It is a mindset.
Customer Success is not a cost center. It is a growth engine.

Recurring revenue only happens when you create recurring impact.
That is why we are proud to back ImpactPilot.

I turned 39 yesterday.

Thirty-nine years ago it was -11°C.
Yesterday it was +11°C.
Same day. Different shape.

And that feels a lot like leadership.

Leadership can be lonely.
It can be hard.
But it is also one of the most beautiful things you can do, because how hard it feels often depends on how you choose to see it.

It is the story of the glass half full or half empty.

For me, fulfillment always starts with the same three habits.
Connecting.
Sharing.
Giving.

Two moments yesterday reminded me why these matter so much ↓

1. Morning: community in action
   
We started our monthly Chapter Leaders session with Brendon and André.
2025 was an incredible year for our chapter with 25 events, new members, and countless meaningful conversations.
But success does not automatically repeat itself.

So we sat down to ask:

• What worked?
• What was missing?
• How can we make 2026 even more valuable for our community?

12 events are already pencilled in, including 9 salon dinners.
Intimate peer discussions around one relevant topic.
The concept stays the same: connect, share, give.

Doing this alone is not possible.
Doing it together with peers who share the same spirit makes it not only possible but energizing.
Starting my Friday, and birthday, this way was the best gift I could ask for.

2. Afternoon: the reminder of mentorship
   
Leadership can be isolating. Sometimes you get stuck.
That is why I believe so deeply in community and in being there for each other when direction feels unclear.

3,5 years ago, at my first HUG conference, I met ✨Michiel.
Since then, our connection has only grown stronger, built on the same foundation: connecting, sharing, giving.

He has become more than a peer or friend.
He is a mentor, someone whose wisdom and humanity remind me what true leadership looks like.
Even on a busy day, even on your birthday, you make time for people like that.

Because that is what fills the glass.

So here is to 39.
To peers like André, Brendon, and Michiel.

To real humans.
Real connections.
And to the simple act of sharing and giving, the heartbeat of community.

Leadership gets lighter when we lead with others.
Who has helped refill your glass this week?

Cheers to the human connection ✌️

After 15 years in GTM, one thing feels truer than ever: you don’t build a great company by winning customers, you build it by keeping them.

When I started out, I thought growth meant new logos and record quarters.
It took time to understand that real growth does not start with a contract. It starts with commitment.

In every fast-growing company, we ring the gong for new business.
And that is fine, because new business fuels momentum.

But the real story of growth happens quietly.
In onboarding calls.
In renewal check-ins.
In the everyday work that helps customers see value again and again.

Customer Success and Account Management are sometimes seen as easy jobs.
They are not. They take empathy, patience, and deep understanding. They are the reason growth keeps going instead of slowing down.

If you have ever worked in a growing SaaS business, you have seen it.
The quiet strength behind every renewal.
The teams who turn software into outcomes and customers into advocates.

This week our International CS and AM teams came together in Amsterdam.
Under the strong leadership of Alba, Felipe, Alvaro, and Julia, they created an incredible onsite that brought together colleagues from Dublin, London, Madrid, and Amsterdam.

They looked back on lessons from 2025, aligned on 2026 priorities, and celebrated what truly matters: helping customers succeed every week, every month, every quarter.

I am proud and grateful to work with such an exceptional group of people.
They remind all of us that growth starts and ends with people who care.

Growth is not built in spikes. It is built in cycles.
If someone on your team keeps those cycles turning, thank them today.

I’ve always found it strange how we treat Q4 to Q1 as a reset, not a relay.
Every January feels like we’re starting over when we should be carrying momentum forward.

At Personio, we’ve learned the next year doesn’t start in January. It starts back in Q3 when budgets, quotas, books of business, and priorities begin to take shape.
That is when real planning begins.

By the time we end Q4, everyone knows the direction.
It is not perfect, and it never will be.
But it means we can close the year strong without rebuilding the plan from zero once the calendar turns.

That alignment doesn’t come from one leadership meeting.
It happens when every layer is involved.
Senior leaders, first-line managers, AEs, and CSMs all bring ideas, context, and ownership.

Strategy needs to move in both directions.
Top-down for clarity, bottom-up for insight.
The best plans come from the people who have to make them real.

All orchestrated by a central strong RevOps team. 

Each year still brings new lessons.
Even with strong results, the market changes and teams evolve.
Our 2026 plan is not about perfection.
It is about focus, about learning faster, and about keeping momentum steady.

Next week, our teams in the UKI, Spain, and Benelux will run their own kickoffs before we come together for the GTM kickoff.

Not a sales kickoff.
A go to market kickoff.
One rhythm. One direction. One collective plan.

We don’t reset every January.
We learn, we align, and we keep moving forward together.

How are you starting 2026?

—
PS. 6am this morning started my 8th workout of the year. Consistency is key.

Yesterday proved something I keep relearning.
Even the best GTM leaders don’t fail on strategy. They get stuck on change.

At Pavilion's first Amsterdam Chapter dinner of 2026, twenty-five marketing and revenue leaders joined two tables of peers.

Same familiar format. One question that never gets old:
What’s your biggest challenge right now?

It didn’t matter who answered.
Enterprise, SaaS, startup, or scale-up. Every story pointed to one word: change.

Organizations moving toward AI.
Teams expanding into new markets.
Revenue leaders building partner motions from scratch.

Everyone is adapting. Few feel ready.

That’s why these rooms matter.
Because when you share what’s actually hard, you realize no one has it figured out.
You stop solving in isolation.
You start learning together.

I’ve been part of Pavilion for five years.
Each time I sit down with this community, I walk away reminded of the same truth.
Context is unique.
But the challenge rarely is.

If you’re leading through transformation this year, lean on your peers.
The answers might not be final, but they’ll move you forward.

How are you managing transformation in 2026?

Every January, I promise myself we will start the quarter with clean pipeline coverage. And every year, I realize I am wrong.
 
We close hard in December, celebrate, and clean the pipe halfway. Then January hits, dashboards show 3x coverage, and it looks fine.  

But once you remove the leftovers, the truth shows up.  Coverage is short, and the year starts behind target.
 
That is not a motivation problem.  
It is a system problem.
 
This quarter, I faced it directly and turned it into a model any GTM team can run.

Here is one way to systemize pipeline coverage so it stays predictable each quarter.

1) Coverage clarity comes before creation

Many teams talk about needing more pipeline, but few can explain the math.
Start with a one-slide coverage model: quota, win rate, cycle time, required pipeline.
No debate, only clarity.

If coverage cannot be explained on one slide, it is not a pipeline problem.
It is a measurement problem.

2) Cleaning the pipeline is performance work

Delayed cleanup creates false confidence.
Make it week one, every quarter.
You cannot build on noise.
You can only build on verified opportunity.

3) Pipeline grows from design, not activity

Instead of more outreach, run focused 14-day sprints.
One ICP, one message, one offer, one reason to act now.
Focus creates accountability and measurable movement.

Coverage improves not from doing more, but from acting with intent.

4) CRM hygiene does not fix coverage. Discipline does

Restaging or extending close dates does not create real pipeline.
If coverage increases but conversion does not, nothing has changed.
The goal is not to look better in the CRM but to perform better in the field.

5) The 7-Step Pipeline Coverage Operating System

1. Define ownership
2. Run front-loaded outbound sprints
3. Inspect early
4. Align on one cadence
5. Coach through metrics
6. Add visibility to risk
7. Improve quarterly

It is not about complexity.
It is about consistency.

Pipeline coverage is not a forecast metric.
It is an operating system.

For teams that start the year under-covered, start small:

• Calculate the gap in € or $
• Pick one segment
• Run a 14-day sprint
• Clean weekly
• Fix conversion last

What are you doing differently this quarter to improve pipeline reliability?

After every quarter, the same reflection shows up in deal reviews.
“If we had just one more demo, this deal would have closed.”

But buyers are not waiting for more demos.
They are waiting for clarity.

We keep building calendars.
Buyers build consensus.
And every week that depends on scheduling becomes a week lost to silence.

That is not a motivation problem.
It is a system problem.

Async selling replaces time friction with buyer enablement.
It builds rhythm, visibility, and velocity without more calls.

Here is one way GTM operators can systemize async selling so momentum never depends on a meeting.

1) Build the async rhythm

Replace meetings with a predictable cadence of short updates.
Define which deal moments must always run asynchronously.
Consistency replaces calendars as the control mechanism.

2) Create buyer workspaces

Launch one digital sales room per qualified deal (we love trumpet 🎺 for this).
Centralize all buyer-facing assets in that workspace.
Every async touchpoint links back to one source of truth.

3) Lead with video

Video keeps async human.
Short recaps, quick intros, clear next steps.
Buyers watch when they have focus, not when you are free.

4) Run async action plans

Use mutual action plans to track progress without check-ins.
Every update is visible.
Momentum becomes measurable.

5) Automate follow-ups

Let systems handle recaps and next steps.
Trigger follow-ups from buyer activity, not reminders.
No one should wait for clarity.

6) Use deal signals

Prioritize execution based on behavior, not opinion.
Engagement data guides attention to what matters now.

7) Enable the champion
Help buyers sell internally without you.
Give them shareable assets, short summaries, and proof points they can use.

It is not about complexity.
It is about consistency.

Async selling is not a trend.
It is an operating system for a buyer-led world.

If your team is still scheduling to create movement, start small:

• Replace one meeting per week with an async update
• Build one buyer workspace
• Record one video recap per deal
• Automate one follow-up
• Track one new signal

What are you doing this quarter to make your sales motion more async-ready?

I used to consume great GTM content every week
and still feel like I was relearning the same lessons.

Podcasts.
LinkedIn posts.
Newsletters from people far better than me.

The problem wasn’t the quality.
It was the lack of structure.

About 40 months ago, I stopped consuming GTM content randomly.

No endless scrolling.
No half listening while doing five other things.

I started collecting ideas with intent.

Every useful insight got archived.
Every pattern got tagged.
Every lesson got stored so I could actually reuse it.

Over time, this changed how I operate.

I wasn’t asking, “What should I do here?”
I was asking, “Have I already seen this problem before?”

That system slowly turned into multiple GTM knowledge libraries:

• 25+ podcast shows
• 100+ GTM operators
• 1,500+ podcast episodes
• 10,000+ GTM LinkedIn posts
• 100,000+ relevant GTM signals

Not to learn more.
But to stop guessing.

What changed wasn’t volume.
It was decision speed.

Fewer opinions.
Clearer tradeoffs.
Patterns I could recognize instead of reinventing.

Here’s how I turn content into action:

• Tag each episode from strategic to operational
• Extract only playbook worthy insights
• Reuse those insights when real decisions show up

Eventually, the volume exceeded my own memory.

So I upgraded my best performing GPT.
It’s now been used over 10,000 times.

Not as a chatbot.
But as a structured GTM memory.

Every hour of content is archived, searchable, and reusable.
Prompt a revenue challenge.
Get answers grounded in how the best operators already solved it.

The signal is already out there.
Most people just don’t have a way to use it.

If you’re curious to see how this thinks,
comment “GTM OS CoPilot”.

Make sure we’re connected and I’ll send access.

Over the last couple of months, I kept seeing more posts about warm inbound, intent signals, and intent outbound.

Different terms.
Different opinions.
Same underlying confusion.

How does warm outbound actually work inside a GTM system?

This weekend, I slowed down.
Which is usually when real thinking happens for me.

I went deep.

AI-powered web research.
Back into my Notion libraries.
Operator notes. Podcast insights. Newsletter publications.

I do this almost every weekend.

I pick one GTM topic.
Strip it down.
Document it clearly enough that future me can actually use it when it matters.

Warm outbound was next on my list.

And that is when something clicked.

Most teams are busy with warm outbound.
Very few are actually running it.

Signals show up.
Reps react.
Activity increases.

But when you look closer:

Timing slips.
Context fades.
Priority depends on who is looking at the queue that day.

Effort is there.
Clarity is not.

So instead of fixing messaging or tools, I wrote this as a system any GTM operator can run.

Here is one systemized way to approach warm outbound.

1. Signal clarity comes before execution

Most teams say they have good signals.
Few can explain what each signal actually means.

Start simple.

One list:
Signals.
Owner.
Urgency.
Required action.

If two people would act differently on the same signal, the system is unclear.

2. Response timing is real performance work

Everyone agrees timing matters.
Almost no one enforces it.

Late response kills relevance.

If a signal matters, give it a response window.
If it does not, remove it.

You cannot act on context that has already passed.

3. Warm outbound improves through design, not effort

When results dip, teams add more activity.

That usually adds noise.

Instead, design execution tiers.

One signal type.
One response window.
One clear next step.

Structure removes guessing.
Consistency follows.

4. CRM hygiene does not fix warm outbound

Reassigning tasks or cleaning fields does not bring timing back.

If signals fire but conversations do not increase, the system allowed delay.

The goal is not to look organised.
The goal is to behave predictably when it matters.

5. The warm outbound operating system

• Define which signals matter
• Assign clear signal ownership
• Aggregate signals at the account level
• Set and enforce response SLAs
• Route execution automatically
• Review signal performance weekly
• Remove what does not convert

This is not about sophistication.
It is about repeatability.

Warm outbound is infrastructure.

If it feels messy right now, start small:

• List your active signals
• Remove the weakest ones
• Pick one urgency tier
• Enforce timing
• Scale later

I turned this into a living playbook that I will share tomorrow on Substack.
It will evolve with implementation notes, coaching, and cheat sheets over time.

What is your view on Warm Outbound?

Every January feels the same.

Pipeline looks fine.
Until you clean it.

You remove the “maybe” deals.
The wishful thinking.
The stuff that was never real.

What’s left is the net pipeline.

And it’s usually… uncomfortable.

This is the moment most teams panic.

You can’t go to marketing and say:
“I need more leads. This week.”

You can’t magically spin up partnerships.

So you default to the obvious move.

Cold outbound.
More volume.
More pressure.

Not because it works best.
Because it feels like action.

But January isn’t a volume problem.

It’s a starting point problem.

Warm outbound is almost always within reach.
Most teams just don’t know where to start.

So here’s a simple place to look.

Instead of asking “who can we email?”, answer these:

1. Which champions have we worked with before?
2. Who from those accounts changed jobs recently?
3. Which deals did we lose 6–12 months ago?
4. What changed since then?
5. Which customers are genuinely happy right now?
6. Where do their former colleagues work today?
7. Who quietly looked at pricing or integrations?

That list alone is warm outbound.

No creativity required.
No new tooling.
No permission needed.

Just relevance, trust, and timing.

The takeaway:
You don’t start a new quarter by inventing pipeline.

You start by reconnecting with context that already exists.

Don’t overthink it.

Repost for others starting January with less pipeline than they expected and defaulting to cold.

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The Battle

🚀 Dennis van Valderen

Koen Stam

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The Battle

🚀 Dennis van Valderen

Koen Stam

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