Why Great CROs Stop Managing Numbers and Start Building Systems with Sam Costello

CROs who chase pipeline numbers miss what really matters. Sam Costello's path from sub-$1M to $100M at Harness taught him to stop managing revenue and start building the machine that produces it, which means recruiting elite, coachable talent, running a champion-first sales process with discipline, and building a culture of radical candor where MEDDPIC reviews are hunts, not compliance exercises. If you're spending more time managing numbers than building people and process, this conversation reveals where that shift starts – and what it costs to miss it.

Sam Costello is CRO at Harness, where he's spent 7.5 years scaling the platform from sub-$1M to $100M ARR. He interviews ~400 candidates annually and partners closely with co-leader Carlos to build what he calls an 'execution machine', recruiting elite talent, running disciplined sales processes, and developing a culture of radical candor and coachability.

Connect with Sam:

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Key takeaways from this episode:

• 00:00 – Why most CROs get the job fundamentally wrong
• 06:00 – Why your team is building champions in the wrong order
• 13:40 – Why POV processes fail before they even start
• 31:41 – Why MEDDPIC reviews are failing in most organizations
• 40:43 – Why the question most hiring leaders should ask (but don't)
• 46:12 – Why OTE isn't your real competition in the war on talent
• 53:00 – What separates great companies from the rest

Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.

This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.

Connect with Us:

• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Force Management