From the Trenches: How Descript.io is Bringing AI to GTM
I've spent the last 15+ years in the trenches of startups, engineering and GTM. I've seen firsthand the unique challenges that GTM teams face. From managing the technical aspects of sales evaluations to handling repetitive, time-consuming tasks like RFPs and security questionnaires, the demands on AEs, SEs, SDRs and CSMs is immense. Over the years, I've worked on optimizing these processes to enable teams to scale effectively—culminating in the development of a powerful AI-driven tool that's changing the game: Descript.io
Recognizing the GTM Pain Points as a Sales Engineer
In my time as an SE, the most significant GTM pain points I've encountered revolve around time, scale and efficiency. Sales Engineers are often the linchpin of the sales process, responsible for everything from conducting technical demos to troubleshooting integration issues. The challenge is that while the role is highly technical, it's also heavily administrative. This dual nature can be a double-edged sword, as it can lead to:
- Repetitive Tasks: The sheer volume of RFPs, security questionnaires, and one-off technical questions that SEs have to deal with can be overwhelming. These tasks, while essential, often pull SEs away from high-value activities like customer consultations and solution design.
- Resource Bottlenecks: With the growing demand for personalized, high-touch customer engagements, scaling a GTM team without increasing SE headcount can seem impossible. The pressure to do more with less is ever-present, and the risk of burnout is real.
- Knowledge Access: Even with comprehensive documentation, finding the right information quickly is a constant struggle. SEs and sales reps often need to sift through lengthy technical documents (if they can find them) to get answers, which can slow down the sales process and affect deal velocity.
Scaling to $25M ARR with Just 3 SEs: The Power of AI
When I was leading the Solutions Engineering team at Statsig, we faced these challenges head-on. We sold a complex, enterprise B2B product to engineers, PMs and data scientists. Our team was responsible for a critical part of the sales process, yet we needed to scale our operations without significantly increasing our headcount. That's where the idea for AskSE—the precursor to Descript.io—came into play.
AskSE was an internal AI-powered tool I developed to help our GTM teams manage the growing workload. It allowed us to scale our sales activities and handle self-service tasks without needing additional SEs. Here's how we did it:
- Automating the Mundane: By automating the repetitive tasks that bogged down our AEs, SEs and SDRs, AskSE enabled us to focus on what truly mattered— high-value, consultative selling. This AI-driven tool pulled from our distributed knowledge base (statsig.com/docs, Notion, GDrive, Sharepoint, Slack, Workplace) and used GPT models to package complex relevant technical information into easily digestible answers (with link sources!) for our sales team and our customers.
- Enhancing Efficiency: With AskSE, we saved our GTM team of around 10 people, more than 10 hours a week in aggregate. This efficiency gain was instrumental in scaling our operations to $25M ARR with only three SEs. We didn't need to hire additional support roles; instead, we made our existing documentation more accessible and actionable. (In fact, we technically didn't have a "customer support" team. We used AI tools and routing logic to handle a majority customer inquiries.)
- Empowering the Entire GTM Team: AskSE wasn't just for SEs. Account executives, customer success managers, and even marketers could use it to quickly find the information they needed and generate content. This cross-functional empowerment ensured that our entire GTM team could operate more efficiently and effectively.
Introducing Descript.io: The Next Evolution
Building on the success of AskSE, I founded Descript.io to bring this game-changing technology to more GTM teams. Descript.io is an AI-powered GTM toolkit designed to address the same pain points I've experienced throughout my career. We provide:
- No-Code Implementation: One of the standout features of Descript.io is its simplicity. Customers can quickly upload documents and input URLs for scraping, with the entire onboarding process taking just 15 minutes. No coding required. Time to wow is short and I often have customers say "I can't believe it was that easy."
- Comprehensive Toolset: Descript.io offers a variety of specialized GPTs tailored to different aspects of the GTM process—from handling RFPs and security questionnaires to writing blogs and generating follow-up emails. This versatility makes it an invaluable asset for sales engineers, account executives, marketers and customer success managers alike.
- Scaling with Confidence: As more software floods the market, driven by the rise of AI-powered development tools, the need for skilled sales engineers will only grow. Descript.io ensures that GTM teams are not just keeping up but thriving in this new landscape. By automating the administrative tasks that slow down the sales process, Descript.io empowers your team to focus on what they do best—helping customers understand how your software can solve their most pressing challenges.
A New Era for Technical Sales
The future of Technical Sales is here, and it's powered by AI. Descript.io is more than just a productivity tool—it's a fundamental shift in how GTM teams operate. By reducing ramp times, minimizing the need for support roles, and enhancing overall productivity, Descript.io is set to transform the GTM space.
As we continue to develop and refine Descript.io, our mission remains clear: to empower GTM teams to connect the dots faster, focus on what truly matters, and drive meaningful growth in an increasingly complex and competitive market. If you're ready to take your GTM strategy to the next level, Descript.io is here to help you get there.
If you have any questions or want to see Descript.io in action, feel free to reach out. Let's revolutionize the way your team works together.