#23 From BAT to AI: My CRO Journey and the New Founder Playbook
July 1st, 2025
Strategic GTM insights for Founders, CEOs, and Investors building AI-driven SaaS businesses. Real stories, proven frameworks, and a mindset for healthy, scalable growth.
Manually curated by Luigi Mallardo.
🚀 A Fresh Chapter: GTM Meets Legacy
Over the past six months, I’ve gone deep into the evolving frontiers of SaaS, GTM, and AI. I’ve tested nearly everything: GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek. Not just for fun. This exploration has fundamentally changed how I work. After months of testing, I’m now converging toward GPT (just upgraded to the paid plan in June) and Gemini, which I use as my daily Work OS.
And today, I’m sharing something I care deeply about. And while I’m incredibly proud of this corporate journey, my passion and focus remain fixed on applying these hard-won lessons to scale the next generation of early-stage, AI-driven ventures.
👉 New article: SaaSifying a Corporate Giant. A CRO’s GTM Framework in Action at BAT
It’s the story of applying a full-stack SaaS GTM playbook inside a 120-year-old legacy beast like BAT. Is it possible to slash churn and drive growth by applying startup-like agility to a massive, established machine?
For nearly three years, I dedicated myself to answering these questions and it worked well.
It was a marathon, not a sprint. Moving from high-level strategy to being "on the court," re-engineering everything from KPIs to field and contact center choreographies.
It’s not just a business case. It’s a roadmap for what happens when SaaS frameworks meet old industries. Hope you enjoy it, and pass it along if it resonates.
SaaSing-up
SaaSing-Up the Farm: John Deere's Real Transformation
John Deere is no longer just a tractor company; it’s a SaaS story. Through autonomy features, precision ag software, and subscription pricing, they’re building a recurring revenue machine that rivals tech-native players. A reminder that every industry can be reengineered and “SaaSified”. Link.
SaaS Market Moves
Benioff: "Refounding Salesforce for the AI Era"
With AI now handling 50% of the work, Salesforce’s CEO is redesigning the company from the ground up. Not an upgrade, a total reset. Link.
SaaS GTM in the Age of AI. 2025’s Wake-Up Call
ICONIQ’s 2025 B2B SaaS GTM Report is a must-read. AI-native companies are separating from the pack:
Trial-to-paid conversions: 56% (AI-native) vs 32% (traditional)
Quota attainment: 61% vs 56%
Sales cycles: 5 weeks faster
Lean GTM teams: 38% fewer FTEs under $25M ARR
Pricing shifts: 37% now on hybrid (subs + usage + outcome)
Post-sale investment: Forward-deployed engineers are replacing old-school CSMs
SaaS is splitting into two worlds. If you're not designing AI into your GTM engine, you're already behind. Link.
AI, Agents & Robots
Product vs. Distribution: The ChatGPT Problem
Microsoft owns the pipes, but users are asking for ChatGPT, not Copilot. A classic GTM case: superior product vs superior distribution. Link.
Altman: A "Free Robot" with Your ChatGPT Subscription
Yes, really. Sam Altman envisions a future where signing up for GPT includes a robot in the box. Link.
🧠 Satya Nadella hits the mark:
“AI must prove it’s socially useful enough to justify its energy usage.”
Clear, grounded, and necessary. The bar isn’t just capability. It’s impact. Link.
Raining Stars
The Boring (But Powerful) Side of AI Mobility
Everyone loves Waymo’s robotaxis. But Nigerian startup Moove is betting on fleet management: keeping AVs charged, clean, and deployed. And they're raising $300M to do it. This operational control could be where the real value lies. Link.
A16Z: Enterprise AI's New Speed Run
The median GenAI startup now hits $2.1M ARR in 12 months. Top quartile: $5.3M. Series A in 7 months. Capital efficiency and speed are the new default. Link.
🚀 $80M Exit. Solo. Bootstrapped. 6 Months.
Maor from Base44 closed $80M in 6 months. Solo, no VC, $3.5M revenue. Different game, different rules. Link.
Interesting reads
🧠 GenAI Confusion Still High
Deloitte's 2025 UK consumer study: 1 in 4 adults haven’t heard of generative AI. Of those who have, most don’t fully understand it. The gap between buzz and comprehension remains wide. Link.
💬 Let’s Connect
That’s all for this edition.
Let me know what resonated. What surprised you? What’s keeping you up at night?
Reply to this email or DM me on LinkedIn, always up for a sharp GTM chat.
Luigi