Hunters and Unicorns

What if motivation is actually the thing holding you back? In this episode of Hunters and Unicorns, hosts Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Sean Conway, an eight-time world record holder, extreme endurance athlete, keynote speaker, and performance coach—to unpack the mindset behind sustained high performance. Sean explains why motivation is an unreliable energy source, how world-class performers build systems instead of relying on willpower, and why consistency always beats intensity over the long run.

From breaking endurance records to coaching high performers, he shares practical lessons that apply just as much to software sales, leadership, and business as they do to elite sport. In this episode:

Why motivation is overrated

The system that creates consistent performance

How to build discipline that lasts

Lessons from breaking eight world records

Why ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results

Endurance principles every sales leader should know

How to perform under pressure without burning out

Building habits that outperform talent

Subscribe for more conversations with the world's top founders, operators, and GTM leaders sharing the playbooks behind exceptional performance.

With thanks to our sponsor Aurasell AI.

#HuntersAndUnicorns #SeanConway #SalesLeadership #Performance #Motivation #Discipline #SystemsThinking #Sales #Leadership #highperformance

0:00 — Trailer

1:17 — Introduction & Sponsor

3:01 — How Many World Records

7:49 — Elite vs Average Iron Man Time

9:20 — Was He Always Innately Motivated

12:50 — Was He a Sporty Kid

15:00 — Why Has He Been Able to Achieve This

16:55 — Community Within the Pillars

24:44 — From a Low Point to an Audacious Goal

31:55 — Practical Implementation of the Plan

36:28 — Getting Up Every Morning for 105 Days

39:33 — The Power of Having a Plan

41:24 — Factoring in Distractions and Life

43:18 — Mentally Dealing With Derailed Plans

44:25 — Was There a Point He Wanted to Quit

47:20 — End Goal vs Breaking It Into Segments

49:30 — Being Present in the Now

51:47 — Parallels to Business and Sales

56:50 — Motivation Levels Through the Journey

1:01:37 — Work Outside of Endurance

1:03:39 — What He Looks for in Coaching Clients

1:12:23 — Closing

What does it really take to scale a software company from $35M to $2B ARR? In this episode of Hunters & Unicorns, Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Dan Barrett, SVP International at Figma and former MongoDB leader, to unpack the lessons behind one of SaaS's most remarkable growth stories.

Dan shares why he hates the word "playbook," how MongoDB evolved through multiple sales transformations, and why the best leaders focus on developing people—not following a rigid process. The conversation explores authenticity in leadership, building high-performance teams, scaling PLG and enterprise sales motions, customer success, AI's impact on software sales, and the leadership lessons that helped Dan grow from a first-time manager into one of the industry's most respected sales leaders.

In this episode:

• Scaling MongoDB from $35M to $2B ARR

• Why Dan hates the term "playbook"

• The leadership epiphany that changed his career

• Building trust without fear or intimidation

• PLG vs enterprise sales models

• What great sales organizations do differently

• How to develop future sales leaders

• Why authenticity is a leadership superpower

• AI, SaaS, and the future of enterprise sales Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders building the next generation of SaaS companies.

#HuntersAndUnicorns #DanBarrett #Figma #MongoDB #SalesLeadership #SaaS #EnterpriseSales #PLG #CustomerSuccess #b2bsales

Timestamps:

0:00 — Trailer

1:02 — Introduction & Sponsor

1:56 — Welcome Dan Barrett

2:35 — Dan's Career & the Epiphany Moment

9:00 — Pressure Before the Epiphany

10:02 — QBRs With John McMahon

11:50 — Fighting for Space to Change

13:37 — From MongoDB to Figma

17:21 — Where PLG Goes Wrong

19:00 — Rethinking the Playbook

23:55 — Learning What Works at Figma

31:46 — Playbook vs Authenticity

33:32 — Moving Into Customer Success

38:06 — Knowing When to Leave MongoDB

41:00 — Sustaining Energy for Nearly a Decade

43:31 — Hunters & Unicorns Origin Story

48:21 — Will Salespeople Survive AI

51:20 — The Future of Figma

54:03 — Closing

In this episode of Hunters & Unicorns, hosts Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Olivier Zieleniecki, Global Vice President of Partners at MongoDB, to discuss why the future of enterprise sales will be built around partnerships, ecosystems, and AI.

As cloud marketplaces, hyperscalers, and AI continue reshaping how software is bought and sold, Olivier explains why traditional sales frameworks are no longer enough on their own. The next generation of sales leaders must learn how to leverage partner ecosystems, build strategic alliances, and create value beyond a single product or transaction. Drawing on nearly 20 years of enterprise software experience, Olivier shares how MongoDB scaled through partner-led growth, why partnerships are becoming a force multiplier for revenue, and what future CROs need to master to stay relevant in the AI era.

In this episode:

• How AI is changing enterprise sales

• Why partnerships are becoming critical to growth

• The evolution of partner-led revenue

• How hyperscalers changed software buying

• What great enterprise sellers do differently

• Why future CROs must understand ecosystems

• Strategic partnerships vs transactional selling

• Building long-term customer value in the AI era

• The future of software go-to-market

 

About Olivier Zieleniecki: Olivier Zieleniecki is the Global Vice President of Partners at MongoDB, leading the company's worldwide partner ecosystem strategy. Over the course of his career, he has helped scale enterprise software organizations while building strategic partnerships that drive long-term growth.

About Hunters & Unicorns: Hunters & Unicorns explores the strategies, leadership lessons, and growth playbooks behind the world's most successful software companies through conversations with elite founders, operators, and GTM leaders.

With thanks to our sponsors Aurasell.

Timestamps:

0:00 — Trailer

1:20 — Introduction

3:10 — How Software Selling Is Changing

5:12 — How Hyperscalers & AI Are Reshaping the Landscape

7:50 — How Partner Complexity in Deals Has Changed

10:24 — Olivier's Career Journey Into Channel

13:57 — Why These Choices Are Setting Him Up for CRO

15:25 — Strategic vs Sourcing — What's the Difference

17:50 — How to Measure Partner Impact & Influence

19:20 — How Enterprise Sellers Should Work With Partners

21:30 — What Sellers Are Getting Wrong With Partners

23:15 — What Best Practice Actually Looks Like

27:43 — Has the Partner Team Ratio Changed at MongoDB

28:58 — How AI Is Impacting the Partner Ecosystem

30:57 — How AI Channel Strategy Differs From Cloud Alliances

32:40 — Will Classic Sales Principles Survive the AI Era

34:44 — The Guiding Principle Behind the Wizard of Oz Nickname

36:54 — How Partner Landscapes Differ Globally

38:31 — Biggest Predictions for Channel by 2030

40:35 — Tools to Track & Measure Partner Success

43:23 — Should Channel Become a Letter in MEDPIC

44:26 — Closing

In this episode, Peppa Wise, SVP of Go-To-Market at Multiverse, breaks down the real differences between scaling from 0 to 10 million, 10 to 100 million, and beyond. From early-stage hustle and chaos to building scalable systems, leadership teams, and world-class sales processes, this conversation is packed with lessons most operators only learn the hard way.

Peppa shares the painful mistakes that shaped her leadership journey, including the year Multiverse fell behind on productive capacity, why hiring the wrong people can quietly destroy growth, and why great leaders must learn to balance accountability with empathy.

The conversation also explores AI, workforce transformation, leadership psychology, sales rigor, emotional resilience, and why Multiverse believes the future of work depends on helping companies actually adopt AI — not just buy new tools.

If you're building a startup, leading a sales team, scaling a company, or trying to become a better leader, this episode is full of hard-earned insights you can apply immediately.

With thanks to our sponsors Aurasell.

Timestamps:

0:00 — Trailer
1:18 — Introduction & Guest Overview
2:59 — What Separates the 0-10, 10-100 & 100M+ Stages
4:48 — Early Learnings & What to Overcome in the 0-10 Journey
7:00 — What Leadership Looks Like at 0-10
8:58 — Reflecting on Your 0-10 Self & Mistakes Made
10:24 — How Mentorship Fuelled Evolution Through Each Stage
13:01 — Is It Okay to Specialize in One Stage
15:38 — What Is Your Long-Term Ambition
17:12 — Have You Changed as a Person Through This Journey
19:46 — How to Coach Leaders Being Inauthentic
21:16 — Were There Any Real Career Low Points
24:26 — What Does Maniacal Productive Capacity Mean
25:57 — What Signals Show Someone Is Ready to Promote
28:38 — Where People Go Wrong With Productive Capacity
33:10 — How to Manage Emotion Under Pressure
37:54 — What Separates First From Second Line Leaders
40:13 — Do You Hire People Similar to Yourself
42:32 — What Changes Has Donn Driven in Year One
45:45 — What Excites You Most About This Next Phase
48:13 — Why Multiverse Is Still the Destination
49:46 — Common Misconceptions About Multiverse
51:17 — Closing & Final Thoughts

What does it really take to scale a sales team inside a billion-dollar company without losing culture, performance, and leadership quality along the way?

In this episode, Peppa Wise and Euan Blair break down the real playbook behind scaling one of the fastest-growing teams in the UK. From the chaos of the 0 to 10 million stage to building sustainable systems at scale, this conversation dives deep into leadership, hiring, productive capacity, mentorship, sales culture, and the lessons most founders only learn after painful mistakes. Peppa shares her journey from one of the early hires at Multiverse to leading a 120+ person go-to-market organization, while Euan opens up about building a mission-driven company during one of the biggest shifts in the future of work and AI.

The episode also explores: - Why most companies fail when scaling teams - The leadership traits that matter most in hypergrowth - Why top performers don’t always become great leaders - The hidden cost of hiring the wrong people - How elite sales organizations maintain standards while scaling fast - The role AI will play in reshaping workforce productivity - Why culture and mentorship become even more important at scale If you're a founder, sales leader, startup operator, or anyone building inside a fast-growing company, this episode is packed with lessons you rarely hear shared this openly. With thanks to our sponsors, Aurasell.

Timestamps:

0:00 — Trailer

1:03 — Introduction & Guest Overview

2:18 — Peppa's Role at Multiverse

3:02 — How Peppa Ended Up at Multiverse

9:18 — Early Interactions & What That Dynamic Was Like

11:58 — The Transition From SaaS to Services

13:11 — Were You All In From Day One

15:27 — When Did You Start Seeing Proof in the Numbers

17:37 — Were You Ever Intimidated Bringing In Great Talent

19:34 — How the Relationship Between Peppa & Euan Evolved

23:02 — Bringing Donn Into the Business

26:55 — What Donn Brings to Peppa Personally

29:42 — Was Don's Impact Felt Instantly or Gradually

32:50 — How a Visionary Founder Stays Grounded

35:40 — What Excites You Most About the Next Few Years

39:02 — What Could Stop Multiverse From Being Successful

40:38 — Fine-Tuning Direction or Focused on Execution

41:58 — Why Multiverse Is the Right Place to Join Right Now

47:32 — Closing & Final Thoughts