Chris Degnan (Snowflake): VP Sales vs Founder/CEO Relationship

Chris was Snowflake’s first sales hire, and he built the commercial business from $0 to $1B+ ARR. What is the optimal relationship between a VP Sales and the Founder/CEO during this journey?Many sales leaders solely focus on hitting their number. That’s certainly important, but sales also plays a pivotal role in product strategy by acting as the voice of the customer. The goal is to achieve a collaborative push-pull relationship with founders and sales leaders that drives more customer value. Key Takeaways: [00:34 - 01:39] Feedback and writing SQL[01:39 - 02:47] Founders interacting with customers to make product adjustments[02:47 - 03:25] Pivoting based on feedback[03:25 - 04:38] Early days are less about profit, more about scaling and feedback