Kicking this off to get the discussion started. Would love to know (if you're new to the group): (1) Quick Wiki/intro on yourself (2) What are you working on now? (3) What is your superpower? (4) What are your primary interests in B2B Sales/Marketing or in General? (5) What do you hope to get out of the group? I'll go first! (1) My name is Ben Reed. I'm a multi-time VP of Sales, Founder, and Entrepreneur. Here's my LinkedIn (happy to connect there): https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/ (2) I'm actively launching my personal brand at benjaminaaronreed.com. Meanwhile, I'm a full-time VP of Sales at wellsitenavigator.com. (3) My superpower is pivoting on a dime and rapidly iterating forward to working systems, methods, teams, products, etc. (4) I'm all eyes and ears focused on outbound ai email (Clay/SmartLead) and systems/stacks. (5) First and foremost, I want to meet awesome new friends and learn from super smart people that I enjoy spending time with. How about you? Looking forward to learning about you guys.

Episode Summary:In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Alex Shartsis, Founder of Skyp.ai, to discuss the battle between SaaS and AI in modern GTM. They break down why mass outbound is declining, where AI SDR tools fall short, and how thoughtful automation is replacing spam. Alex also shares insights on vibe coding, software complexity, and why real expertise still matters in an AI-first world. What you'll learn: - How Alex built Skyp.ai from real outbound pain points - Why mass cold email is declining but still not dead - How thoughtful AI automation beats spammy AI SDR tactics - Why most people underestimate how hard real software is to build - The difference between vibe coding prototypes vs scalable SaaS products - Why product management and subject matter expertise still matter most - How AI can help individual sellers without replacing GTM systems - The hidden complexity behind CRMs, data infrastructure, and RevOps - Why many founders are chasing hype instead of solving real problems - What the future of SaaS may look like in an AI agentic world Featured Guest: Alex Shartsis, Founder of Skyp.ai Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast Connect with Alex: Website:https://skyp.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shartsis/ Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/ Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for insights on B2B sales, RevOps, AI, and leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave a review.

Join Ben Reed and the NextGen/RevyOps community on our weekly call: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84798758755 Time: 12 p.m. EST Day: Thursday, April 16th - Talk shop - Meet other GTM/Agency pros - Scale your business!

Episode Summary: In this episode, Ben Reed chats with Rafael Guerreiro, Founder of Sentrion, about the future of signal-based selling, AI-driven GTM, and where SaaS is headed next. They break down how Rafael built Sentrion from real outbound pain points, why most signal tools rely on weak assumptions, and how job posting data can reveal true buyer intent. The conversation expands into a candid discussion on AI hype, vibe coding, infrastructure costs, and what the future of software may look like. What you'll learn: 1. How Rafael built Sentrion from real outbound pain points 2. Why most signal platforms rely on assumptions instead of proof 3. How job postings can uncover real buying intent signals 4. The difference between signal stacking vs verified intent data 5. Why AI is probabilistic, and why that matters for GTM workflows 6. Where “vibe coding” works and where it fails in real-world software 7. The hidden costs of AI infrastructure and data processing 8. What the future of SaaS may look like 9. Why human behavior may be the biggest constraint on AI adoption Featured Guest:Rafael Guerreiro, Founder of Sentrion Host:Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast Connect with Rafael: Website: https://sentrion.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelsentrion/ Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/ Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for insights on B2B sales, RevOps, and leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave a review.

GTM Agencies are dead. If not now, give it 12 months. Here's why: Everyone’s still selling $5k–$10k/month retainers like it’s 2020. But the math is broken. A single $5k agency contract can double a company’s CAC overnight. And when you actually run the numbers… It doesn’t just hurt performance. It makes profitability impossible. That’s the dirty secret no one wants to admit. Here’s what’s really happening: ____ Problem 1: Unit economics don’t work anymore Outbound already has thin margins. Layer in agency fees → clients lose money even if campaigns perform. - Incentives are misaligned - Agencies get paid on retainers. - Clients only win if pipeline converts. Those are not the same game. ____ Problem 2: AI is collapsing execution cost to ~0 What used to take teams… Now takes tools + automation + a smart operator. So why pay $5k/month for labor? The market is getting smarter Buyers are starting to ask: “Why am I paying you… instead of owning this myself?” And they’re right. _____ So, how do you survive as a GTM Agency? The answer is a completely different model: 👉 Systems Integrators + Value-Added Resellers Instead of: “Pay me $5k/month and I’ll do it for you” It becomes: “I’ll set it up, sell you the stack, and show you how to run it” You: • Make money on software • Add light setup + coaching • Skip the operational headache • Keep margins high They: • Own the system • Learn the playbook • Actually become profitable Win-win. _____ Here's the biggest shift: From doing → enabling The winners won’t be the best operators. They’ll be the ones who: • Design the system • Package the stack • Sell the outcome • Let software do the work If you're still building a traditional GTM agency… You’re fighting gravity. If you pivot now… You’re early. 12 months from now? You’ll wish you did. Watch the video below! Want more? - Access all weekly call recordings here - Access all podcasts here