Learnings from 30 years in Go-To-Market: a chat with Jim Stoneham

Jim, a seasoned professional with a storied career at tech giants like Apple, Kodak, Yahoo, New Relic, and Stripe, has witnessed significant evolutions in marketing and go-to-market strategies over the decades. His experience highlights the transition from sales-led to buyer-led sales motions, emphasizing the importance of adapting to self-serve and open-source adoption models. Jim recounts the challenges of founding Opsmatic and its subsequent acquisition by New Relic, underscoring the value of strong product-market fit and strategic customer relationships. He also discusses the complexities of pricing strategies across different company stages, advocating for flexible billing systems and the strategic importance of pricing and packaging. Jim's insights reflect his data-driven approach, tempered by intuition, and his knowledge extends to community monetization at Yahoo and the nuances of SaaS growth, recommending foundational readings for executives. Throughout his career, Jim has experienced surprising opportunities, including leading New Relic's Commercial Sales team without prior experience, and he shares his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, illustrating his ongoing curiosity and passion for exploration.