RevOps is Dead: Why GTM Ops is the Future

The term Revenue Operations (RevOps) is often misapplied, with many teams simply performing Sales Operations under a trendier title. Andy Mowat and his peers prefer the designation "Go-to-Market Ops" because it properly encompasses the crucial functions of Marketing Operations (MOPs) and Customer Success Operations (CS Ops). This unified approach ensures coordination and prevents system conflicts, particularly as data flows from marketing systems into sales systems. A comprehensive GTM Ops function is defined by six core areas: Sales Operations (SOPs), GTM Systems, Sales Strategy, Post-Sales/CS Ops, MOPs, and Enablement. Each area plays a distinct but interconnected role, from territory design and commissions (SOPs) to using product data for efficiency (CS Ops) and managing marketing automation systems (MOPs). An effective GTM Ops leader must think strategically about both the systems and the processes by which the company sells.

Andy reflects on the technological journey of Revenue Operations across various unicorn companies, including Upwork, Box, and Culture Amp, noting that the discipline is constantly evolving. While early roles were focused on core systems, the need for a Modern Data Stack became clear to handle sophisticated concepts like pipeline coverage, which existing CRMs couldn't manage without a dedicated data layer. He highlights tools like Fivetran, DBT, and Census as essential components for a modern GTM data environment, emphasizing that today, a rev ops professional needs fluency and understanding of how data works, often including SQL knowledge. Despite the proliferation of tools, Andy believes the industry is in the dark ages of systems, arguing that the user experience of dominant CRMs like Salesforce is "terrible" and not built for the modern world of unstructured and product data. This frustration with legacy systems has led to the emergence of next-generation solutions, with a prediction that the next CRM will likely be a data warehouse.

When hiring for Revenue Operations, particularly in the age of AI, mindset is significantly more critical than just skill set. Andy Mowat stresses that key traits include intensity, the ability to articulate, work cross-functionally, and a willingness to "get your hands dirty." For junior roles, he often grows talent from high-performing CS or support teams, looking for that spark of logical thinking and structured thinking. At the director level and above, hiring managers require individuals who possess the skills to hire, manage, and develop other director-level staff, with a focus on managing up, making trade-offs, and articulating a clear strategy. The most significant shift today is the absolute necessity for AI Fluency. Failing to embrace and utilize AI is detrimental, leading to a demand for new, yet-to-be-fully-defined roles, such as the GTM Engineer. This new functional role is emerging because specialized tools, like Clay, can be complex, following a pattern where new tools create new jobs, which then prompts the development of more tools to make those jobs easier.