The GTM Syndicate

Revenue systems became a complex given. They now require the help of a holistic GTM expert, a holistic AI in GTM expert - and a full team of specialists - to help your team design, build, and scale them properly - via our holistic approach to Go-To-Market & AI in GTM.

The GTM Syndicate is an internationa collective of Europe’s best-known domain experts - assembled by a leading GTM orchestrator and Revenue Architect. We bring deep expertise across 12 critical GTM disciplines, operating according to holistic approach.

All standing behind one single belief: building a modern revenue systems is just like renovating a house - you don’t fix them with one tool or one contractor. Most challenges today touch multiple domains.

We work as a long-term, end-to-end partner, to help B2B technology companies design, operate, and optimize their entire revenue system - across all motions and growth stages. Upgrading your revenue system with the right experts, at the right time.

The GTM Syndicate can help you by working on: Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, Partnerships, Revenue Operations.

And specific domains of expertise: AI Workflows & Automation, Revenue Architecture, CRM (Salesforce or Hubspot), Pricing & Packaging, ABM or Account-based Marketing, ICP or Ideal Customer Profile, Data & Growth Model, Founder-led Sales, PLG or Product-led Growth

Let’s talk if your revenue system needs a rethink, a rebuild - or a real upgrade.

Founder, Holistic GTM & Sales Expert

Winning by Design

Winning by Design is trusted by 1/4 public SaaS companies in the US (Adobe, Ubereats, Calendly, Dialpad, Dropbox, Asana...) and of many more private SaaS and AI businesses of all sizes & growth phases. Recognized as an Ambassador of Revenue Architecture by Jacco himself.

I truly discovered Revenue Architecture as the only answer to building sustainable revenue systems post the growth-at-all-cost era. Many AI and SaaS revenue systems could use some help with building revenue systems (GTM sytems) that are more scalable, sustainable and durable. In line with their current and next growth phase. This by focussing on knowledge, math, data and A.I. Let's change that together!

Official Ambassador

ADCR Capital

I set out to combine operating partner, a (leveraged sweat equity) capital firm and a capital broker into a full-service concept. This, in a very down capital market from January 2024 to October 2024, where a lot of companies struggled (or shut down) & found no capital at large. 

The operating partner activity marketed a very specific cash/sweat equity model that never found PMF. Managed to build out a Capital Partner network (trust) with many top VC & PE firms. I've helped some founders on their funding journey, a few dossiers per month - which is not a viable business model.

Learned so much out of the whole experience. Important to know when to stop & on to the next.

Founder

openthebox

Go-to-market advisory and co-pilot for the CEO and CRO. Openthebox is Mediafin's (De Tijd, l'Echo, Trust Media, BePublic) latest acquisition, a challenger in the B2B business data market.

Helped them to restructure their sales strategy, operations & team. Moved from 5 to 1 vertical, revamped the pricing & implemented 3 different GTM Motions (Enterprise, mid-market, SME).

GTM Advisor - Strategic Project

Sales Gladiators

Sales Gladiators was a management company for 6 years, out of which I operated as a Fractional Revenue Leader (CRO) for various AI and Saas companies, in the most diverse of industries.

After 6 years, I injected the brand into a new company, with that specific name, which I then co-founded with someone who originally worked for me as my AE at MyMove (D'Ieteren/LabBox company). During the time I was their Chief Revenue Officer. MyMove also became one of our first customers. 

I had developed 2 products/service-lines:

- (fractional) CRO-as-a-Service
- (fractional) AE-as-a-Service

After 9 months we were set to do 300K ARR with 2 people in our first year, one building the backbone for each product. We were just about to scale to 3 additional AE profiles (already found), when the SaaS crash really set in. At that point, our visions also did not align. We decided to split and a couple of months later I decided to "kill the brand".

My former co-founder then went on to build an outbound agency, and I went on to build Tracie (AI suite for HR), ADCR Capital and then now, The GTM Syndicate.

During these 9 months we worked for:

- MyMove (Car-sharing Technology & platform) -> AE-as-a-Service
- Leexi (Conversational AI) -> AE-as-a-Service + CRO-as-a-Service support of the AE
- TIMi (big data management suite) -> CRO-as-a-Service + AE-as-a-Service
- Sendwich (lunch delivery platform for schools) -> Strategic GTM project

traicie

The AI suite for HR that links attitude and skills to workplace success. Finding diverse talent, has never been easier. Traicie built an integratable AI talent engine that help corporates quickly and proactively find valuable candidates through automated sourcing, prescreening and matching on CV, LinkedIn and Whatsapp.

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

TIMi

In 8 months Sales Gladiators reviewed, upgraded and professionalized their revenue machine via our CRO and Account Executive-as-a-Service model combined. One of my senior account executives was promoted to Head of Sales and has been properly enabled, trained, and provided with all our systems, methodology, and strategy to be able to do so. As do they feel properly enabled to now hire 2 new account executives for the sales team.

TIMI empowers enterprise companies to maximize and grow their data culture towards a road to self-service where department data is put in the hands of departments to monetize and play with their own (big) data. TIMi has a cutting-edge, no-code/low-code data preparation and modeling suite which helps you to easily jump from any level of data culture to level 4: self-service adjacent to getting the most out of your current data culture level.

Leexi

Aside from the AE-as-a-Service Sales Gladiators supplied Leexi with, I also provided AE support (product of Sales Gladiators, done by a validated CRO-profile) for the placed Account Executive. I spent 12h/month with that AE to create strategy, tactics, deal coaching, general coaching, and daily/weekly/monthly project and performance follow-up. Also supporting the founders, on request, within those 12 hours/month to work on a limited set of strategic topics.

CRO Support of a placed Sales Gladiators' AE

MyMove

Enabling car dealers, car rental companies and corporates alike to offer an end-to-end digital vehicle rental or sharing experience to their users. MyMove provides all the technology to have your fleet connected and therefore shared: keyless technology, our mobile-app for the end-user and our management software for the fleet manager(s).

Led sales, marketing, customer success and the commercial aspect of the product. MyMove successfully completed a 3,2 mio euro capital increase in March 2022.

Lab Box

Lab Box, the New Mobility holding of D'Ieteren, at the time the majority shareholder in MyMove, and their Venture Partner David, asked me to come up with a strategy and corresponding training together with him, for the Enterprise Fleet sales team of D'Ieteren who manages all Enterprise accounts out of HQ. 

Originally, strong and proficient in selling vehicles, suddenly they had to be onboarded and educated on selling new mobility (all 10 ventures of Lab Box) and their offering, which was substantially different and required a substantially different approach. We also gamified lead generation for all trained reps, where they could win prices. Of which the main price, was 2 VIP tickets for Tomorrowland & full access to the VIP corner of D'Ieteren at Tomorrowland.

Advisor - Strategic Project

Holistic Go-To-Market & AI for B2B / 12 domains / €2M up to €1B+ / 14 int. known experts.

As a Chief Revenue Officer, I operated 20+ B2B technology companies - often 2 at the same time, switching mornings & afternoons - in the most various industries. I've really realized and felt firsthand how building modern, leading revenue systems became a very complex given. 

Comparable to renovating or building a house. It requires the help of a GTM orchestrator or architect (like me) - but also a lot of specialists, to help you upgrade or expand on that revenue system, across all its domains.

I then set out to bring together an international team of 13 European, best-known domain experts. Together we form The GTM Syndicate to help your team - via our holistic approach. Providing the right expert(s), at the right time.

Always happy to have a call with you to discuss your entire revenue system & its current challenges. I love GTM & building revenue systems, as much as some people love chess, football or Taylor Swift.

Some companies I've helped to build their revenue system the past 13 years: 

- An unnamed 25 mil turnover SFPIM portfolio co.
- OpenTheBox by Mediafin (PE data service provider)
- Traicie (AI recruitment tool for HR)
- TIMi (big data suite)
- Leexi (conversational AI)
- MyMove by D'Ieteren (car sharing tech & platform)
- Lab Box (D'Ieteren's new mobility VC)
- Harmoney (know your customer suite for banks)
- Marlinks (continuous monitoring of offshore wind)
- DESelect (Salesforce Marketing Cloud optimization platform)
- Find.me (all brand car selection platform)
- Selma.ai (segmentation & targeting for big retailers)
- Prins & Dingemanse (the Dutch mussel company)
- Triple R oil cleaner (industrial oil filtration OEM)
- CentralApp (no-code website & SEO tool for F&B)
- Treatwell.com (online beauty & wellness booking marketplace)
- Justeat.com (online food ordering marketplace)

For years I struggled to get the most out of going to events. So how did I get the most out of SaaSiest - just by telling a story?

1. First and foremost, it's an opportunity to connect with so many people you know.

2. It's a beautiful way to network with so many great people!

But how do you go about that? 

Honestly - I had forgotten to log into the network thing to book meetings. 

So I went in cold. Not easy for a guy with Asperger.

Founder-mode activated ✅ 

What you need is:

1. A good opener. 

Mine was "how big is your house" with context like a 3 option question 2-10, 10-50, 50-1B+. Then people frown - but breaks a pattern so you get 3-5 minutes.

2. A good story

After the nice opener, you still have to tell something captivating. For me it's with all my passion, explaining what and why I've build with the GTM syndicate

3. Conversation partner feedback (continuous loop)

People you talk to then will let you know if it's something quite fast. 

Or if you can talk to top people who give you 5 minutes - and end up organically giving you 10+ minutes.

4. Do NOT sell ANYTHING

It's a network event, bringing together the community. 

So despite my passionate sharing of "the houses" story & how building modern revenue systems became so complex - all I asked was if they wanted to learn more.

Then the event ends... PIVOTAL moment: how do you follow up?

This is where you can get the most of the value from and still get tons of meetings with people you missed. 

So this is what I did:

1. Scraped the attendees list

Applied the secret AI sauce here, we're an AI-first and AI-native company.

2. Making the selection

Made an Excel, parsed the attendee list, partner list & speaker list and started to build lists in 3 🤓 respective tabs:

- the people I'm interested in still meeting
- whoever I spoke already
- most important: whoever I spoke and hard committed to a meeting

3. Started to follow-up

- Send emails, manually
- Send connection requests, manually

Ended up booking 20 meetings already - and expect to book many more. 

All by really networking & NOT SELLING - just also sharing what we've build & why.

As such SaaSiest is very "founder-friendly" and the whole community is.

You'd be amazed how nice people are when you approach them directly and break pattern, combined with a bit of humor - and deep technical knowledge - all put together in this 3 houses story and the way I approach it.

Now all of this happens organically - I don't need to think about it - and it's super sincere. People I talk can feel that it's from the heart. 

The nutty GTM professor (me).

So in no way possible, I would have thought this would convert in so many meetings - with the very best companies of 2-10m & particularly 10-50m and particularly 50m-1B+.

For me as a founder - it made it very clear, that what we've build resonates.

Our story, top team & the 3 houses narrative (and the WHY).

☝🏼 So that's how you can get the most out of events ☝🏼

Stephane Maes

Holistic Go-To-Market & AI for B2B / 17 domains / €2M up to €1B+ / 19 int. known experts & their companies

So at what revenue point does it make sense to consider our approach to holistic GTM and AI?

We developed 3 houses, to cover that the best possible way.

We have:

- 2-10M: The House
- 10-50M: The Mansion
- 50M-1B+: The Skyscraper 

Thanks to Winning by Design, we know about the 13 growth phases, what to focus on (and what not to focus on) - and their specific breaking points.

That's why we have 3 houses & adjusted teams focused at 3 different growth stages.

And how we help you to get the most of your GTM & AI, build in-house.

Want to learn more? Link to our brochure in the comments.

Source: Winning By Design (+ our colorful 3 houses layover).

Have a good weekend folks.

Context is everything in GTM. Just as much as it is with A.I. 

What worked for your competitor will most likely fail for you.

Because GTM isn’t math. It’s context engineering...

Your motion, your data model, your AI stack,... 

They all hinge on your own variables:

- ICP maturity.
- Deal velocity.
- Pricing logic.
- Data hygiene.
- GTM motion mix (PLG vs Sales-led).

Two companies can use the same GTM and/or AI strategy or approach, using exactly the same process while one scales & the other one fails.

Now why is that? Simply because using strategy or AI in the wrong context will generate the wrong output.

The most dangerous mindset in GTM & AI today: “Let’s copy what worked for X.”

Context isn’t a backdrop, or an option. It’s the source code of your growth.

How are you making sure your AI and GTM systems understand your context before executing it?

This is how we make sure of that. 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Or why it's so important we first get to know your business, via the way we onboard our experts, so they have that context.

A founder I spoke with this week runs a €5 M ARR SaaS company. Ambitious goal: €100 M in 5 years. He thought the hard part was people, turns out - it was systems.

He told me: “We thought process-oriented meant the process happens under us. But it starts with us. The management must change first (mentality).”

That kind of self-awareness is rare - and powerful.

Honestly, I wish all people I meet understand & get it, like this man did. And have that kind of self-awareness. I wanted to give him a hug at this point.

That wisdom alone, gives him a real shot at actually doing it.

He compared it to training for the Olympics:

“You need a mastermind team. People who tell you which muscles to train - and when to stop overusing the old ones.”

He loved our 3 houses 🏗️ 🏡 🏰 🏢  narrative because it gave clarity to something complex:

- Basement: RevOps, data, ICP, finance - your structure.

- Floors/The House: Sales, marketing, CS, partnerships - your motion.

- Roof: AI, pricing, PLG, ABM - your acceleration.

“It’s easy to understand,” he said, “but clearly built by experts.”

And that’s exactly what he appreciated most:

- That we don’t sell “random solutions.” and start from the PROBLEM - and then we come with designing solutions - with all that talent and domain expertise.

- That we orchestrate specialists into a holistic GTM system.

- That we understand different stages require different treatments -
like coaches preparing athletes for each performance level.

He smiled and said: “I’d be stupid not to take the next step. You have something unique - clear system, deep domain knowledge, and a way of thinking that just makes sense.”

At that point, I wanted to ask him if he please would join in on every call I have with propects, because it's rarely someone gets it like he did and then verbalizes it in the excited way he did - because he really got it.

At €5M, you don’t need “more.” You need architecture.

You need systems that scale people, not people that scale systems.

That’s what The GTM Syndicate was built for - to be the architects of modern revenue systems. Getting you the right expertise, at the right time - from people who actually KNOW your business and start with the problem.

Question: If your goal was €100 M in five years - would your GTM engine be ready for the Olympics?

The management must change first (mentality).

"Your Holistic GTM & AI approach is really different, more so this really was a network call, not a sales call" a top VP marketing told me today of a 10-50 mio company.

And she does a lot of these calls and they always subliminally want to sell something, she shared. 

It's as I always say they all sounds the same, act the same, try to sell you the same €4999 something. Uniformity.

We just want to build a strategic relationship. 

Now you heard me say that a lot lately but it's extra special when people bring it up themselves end of call. That it's refreshing & they experience it as such. 

Pure and instant good energy!

The idea to have an outside-in look, from best in the business - each in their domain - is great, she concluded. Whether that's holistically, multi domain or single domain. Because she understood most challenges are multi-domain.

Even 1 domain, let's say marketing, has a holistic perspective to it too. With so many specialities, subdomains and different kinds of expertise needed.

Nobody has all of that expertise in house, let alone world-class. Every growth stage and GTM maturity level, people can use some help. 

The right help, at the right time - from the right domain experts.

More so I got to share how I believe ironically nobody ever starts from the problem, everyone always limits it to the solutions they offer - that's problematic. Think about it, it's true.

They only offer their core offering + tons of stuff they're really not domain experts in. And then this is the very limited solution to all of your problems.

Not to mention then performed by juniors, 1-person show freelancers - the list goes on and on...

We really start by looking and identifying the problems & constraints and only then we can talk about designing or creating solutions together.

Funny enough really doing that, is already breaking pattern, hard.

To then have a strategic partner that really understands your business (and in this particular case SaaS and AI businesses), across all these domains and subdomains - is very rare, if not unique.

Being that kind of holistic GTM and AI partner, with those kind of world class domain experts & their companies, who operate according to our holistic way of working - is something really unique.

"How does that sound" I always ask them. 

"I think you're really on to something here".

I think so too.

You try to create an authentic experience for clients, to experience.

You shout you're different - but then you have to really be different.

It's just amazing when people express they can feel that.

We're all stuck in the status quo here - because what is the alternative?

I truly believe, the way you get help with GTM today s*cks - and makes no sense at all.

Everything out there is always SO solution-first focused... surely, you have noticed that too?

Everyone always has their solutions and frameworks at the ready. Whether you realize that or not. It's true.

I can believe some companies only build in-house - being tired of all of this.

What if someone could offer you a holistic take to GTM and AI?

That's why we brought together:

- 19 international, world-class experts (the best) 
- & their companies (capability to serve)
- across 17 domains (deep domain expertise)

So companies can have the right expertise, at the right time, while building in-house. And a strategic partner that really knows you.

Always orchestrated by our holistic GTM expert, our Holistic GTM AI expert and/or our mysterious, very famous GTM architect.

I invite you all to discover how we offer Holistic GTM & AI.

Question: when was the last time you really talked about your GTM and AI approach with me to see what we could do for you? 

Exactly. So when can we discuss your GTM?

(*) this is the latest version, as of this weekend, I think now - it's really finished.

 The GTM Syndicate - The Skyscraper (50M-1B+)

You know what I realize now that we talk daily to C-levels and VPs of €50M - €1 B+ companies? 

They’re just people too...

The titles, the pressure, the decisions, it's all very real. But behind it: humans.

Same doubts, same hopes, same “am I doing this right?” moments.

Whenever I tell my story of 20× CRO, 15 industries deep, there’s always a moment.

When I say: "Each GTM domain became its own galaxy. Each subdomain a solar system. And now with AI, the universe just expanded.”

They always all nod because it feels that way for every exec I meet. 

Complexity is everywhere and it really did become "too complex" nor do you never (ever) have all that expertise in house.

Data, systems, tools, teams are all orbiting yet rarely aligned.

But what leaders crave isn’t more planets. 

It’s gravity, a system that makes sense of it all again.

That’s the real GTM challenge in 2025. Not speed but alignment.

Start with people, end with system.

When was the last time your org felt truly aligned and not just “synced”?

Taplio

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