During the MovieLaLa days, we learned something about the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it that I still apply to every investment I make.
When I tried to grow our sales team, it didn’t go well at first. But after we started using AI CRMs the right way, our pipeline tripled without hiring more people. Here’s exactly what we did.
The Framework That Actually Works
I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: the best solutions are often the simplest ones This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: the data tells a different story than your gut Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The Reality Nobody Talks About
Most people approach the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it with assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on. When I look at my portfolio companies, the ones that succeed are doing something fundamentally different.
The first thing to understand is that you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.
At RemoteTeam, we learned this the hard way. We spent months going down the wrong path before realizing that the data tells a different story than your gut. Once we made the switch, everything changed.
Real Talk: What Actually Matters
I'm going to cut through the noise and tell you what actually matters when it comes to the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it.
First, execution speed beats perfection. Every time. I've never seen a company fail because they moved too fast on the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it. I've seen plenty fail because they moved too slow.
Second, measure everything. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Set up tracking from day one, even if it's basic.
Third, talk to your users. This sounds obvious but you'd be amazed how many founders build their the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it strategy in a vacuum. Get out of the building. Talk to real people.
This connects to broader themes around revenue intelligence, AI CRM, deal scoring AI, AI sales tools that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
The Bottom Line
Look, the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it isn't rocket science. But it does require intentionality, consistency, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: start now, start small, and iterate. The founders who win at the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it aren't the ones with the best strategy on paper. They're the ones who execute, learn, and adapt faster than everyone else.
I've been doing this for over a decade. The patterns are clear. The companies that take the biggest mistake i made with ai crms and how i fixed it seriously outperform the ones that don't. Every single time.
If you're working on something interesting in this space, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
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.