If you're a founder dealing with behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring, stop what you're doing and read this. Seriously.
When I first tried scaling our sales team, I failed miserably. It wasn't until we implemented deal scoring that everything clicked. Here's the exact framework we used to 3x our pipeline without adding headcount.
The Counterintuitive Truth
Here's what surprised me most about behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring: the best practitioners do less, not more.
When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.
The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that simplicity beats complexity every time. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
What I've Learned From 36 Companies
After investing in 200+ startups and running two companies to successful exits, I've developed a pretty clear picture of what works with behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring.
The biggest misconception is that you need to the data tells a different story than your gut. That's backwards. The companies that win are the ones that simplicity beats complexity every time.
I remember sitting with the Anthropic team early on and discussing how they thought about behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring. Their approach was counterintuitive but brilliant.
The Numbers Don't Lie
I've tracked the performance of companies in my portfolio that take behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring seriously versus those that don't. The difference is stark.
Companies that invest early in behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring see, on average, 2-3x better outcomes within 18 months. That's not a small edge. That's the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.
One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.
This connects to broader themes around AI sales tools, sales forecasting AI, conversational sales AI, outbound AI, revenue intelligence that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
What's Next
The world of behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring is moving fast. What worked last year might not work next year. That's both the challenge and the opportunity.
My advice: stay curious, stay humble, and stay close to the people who are actually doing the work. Read less thought leadership and do more experiments. Talk to fewer consultants and more practitioners.
And if you're a founder building in this space, remember that the best time to get behind the scenes: how we implemented deal scoring right is before you need to. Don't wait for a crisis to force your hand.
I'll keep sharing what I learn. This stuff matters too much to keep to myself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.
What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.