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Index/SaaS Backwards
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Ep. 186 - What SaaS Leaders Get Wrong About AI

SaaS Backwards · 2026-01-30 · 31 min

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Topics in this episode

Revenue operationsAI strategyB2B SaaS growthAI revenue systemssignal-based marketing

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail Guest: Lara Shackelford, SVP of Growth Marketing at iCapital - Most SaaS companies are investing heavily in AI, yet many struggle to see meaningful ROI. In this episode of SaaS Backwards , Lara Shackelford - SVP of Growth Marketing, MarTech, and CRM at iCapital - breaks down why AI initiatives fail without the right systems, governance, and change management. Lara explains how AI-powered revenue systems should be designed across the full customer lifecycle, from demand generation through customer success. She introduces the concept of “agent sprawl,” outlines why AI readiness assessments are critical before scaling automation, and shares practical examples of signal-based marketing and sales automation that actually work. This conversation is essential listening for SaaS CROs, CMOs, and RevOps leaders looking to align AI strategy, revenue operations, and go-to-market execution. - Stalled pipeline? Lost deals? Diagnose your GTM gaps with a free, actionable checkup. Get your free SaaS GTM Checkup

Related episodes across the Index

Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.

  • How G2's SVP of GTM Strategy evaluates sales comp plans, scales teams & runs M&AThe Sales Compensation Show · on Revenue operations86 / 100
  • Olivier Roth on Why Revenue Lives in the Network, Not the CRM RecordSales POP! Podcasts · on Revenue operations57 / 100
  • How to Close Without Asking for the SaleClosing the Deal with Fexingo · on Revenue operations
  • How Top Sales Leaders Fix Broken Quota AttainmentSales Leadership with Fexingo · on Revenue operations
  • Don’t automate what you can’t govern with David LevinThe Ecommerce Toolbox: AI in Retail · on AI strategy
  • How Marketing Ops Uses Customer Journey DataThe Marketing Operator Podcast with Fexingo · on Revenue operations

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  • Ep. 196 - The SaaS Opportunity Hidden Inside Services79 / 100
  • Ep. 195 - Why Code No Longer Drives SaaS Value in the AI Era89 / 100
All SaaS Backwards episodes →