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From Cold Calls to $25M ARR — Scott Leese's Human-First GTM Playbook That Beats AI Every Time
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What if you could scale your sales, fix broken GTM, and hit $1M+ without hiring a full team or burning capital? Scott Leese, one of the top 3 sales coaches globally, reveals why founders who build networks instead of funnels are the ones printing ARR while everyone else fights for scraps.
In this episode, Scott breaks down exactly how early-stage founders can scale revenue, sharpen their ICP, and install the only GTM strategy that still works in 2025.
Unlock Scott’s exact playbook—then go deeper with our AI Thought Avatar trained on insights from every top startup, GTM & PLG leader we’ve hosted.
Get Playbook + Ask the AI Avatar
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Scott Leese has cracked the code on what actually works in 2025—and it's the opposite of what everyone else is doing. This conversation reveals:
- The Anti-AI GTM Strategy — Why going human-first when everyone else goes automated is your biggest competitive advantage right now.
- The $1M Referral Partner Playbook — Scott's exact system for signing up networked connectors who generate $100k+ pipeline monthly without any ad spend or cold outreach.
- Stage-Appropriate Hiring Secrets — How to hire 3 reps at once (never just 1), what questions to ask to find startup DNA, and the onboarding playbook that turns chaos into quota crushers.
- The Real Reason 60% Miss Quota — It's not what you think. Scott reveals the #1 problem he fixes 100% of the time (and it's probably broken at your company right now).
- Content as Prospecting — How to turn LinkedIn into a lead generation machine without looking like every other founder posting AI-generated thought leadership.
Zero theory. Pure execution. This is the behind-the-scenes from someone who's built the playbook that actually works when traditional sales motions are failing.
Welcome to Edbound With Kinner
Edbound With Kinner is the podcast where real founders, operators, and growth marketers come to decode what actually works when scaling modern businesses.
Hosted by Kinner N Sacchdev, Co-founder & CEO of Edbound AI and Knorish, this show dives deep into the strategies behind today’s fastest-growing SaaS, AI, and product-led companies.
From PLG experiments that move the needle, to GTM frameworks that convert and AI use-cases that actually work—you’ll hear firsthand from the people building it all. We go beyond headlines and hype to uncover the exact systems, scripts, and mindsets that drive growth.
Whether you’re a founder wearing multiple hats, a growth marketer chasing scalable channels, or a revenue leader looking to build a predictable pipeline—this is where you’ll find the edge.
New episodes drop every week.
Real operators. Real systems. No fluff. Just growth.
Subscribe To The Edbound With Kinner Podcast on your favorite platforms — Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
Meet The Guest
Scott Leese is ranked among the top 3 sales coaches in the world—with the results to back it: 150+ companies coached, 12 unicorns scaled, 13 exits, and hundreds of startups guided from $0 to $25M ARR.
From building the $0–to–Unicorn sales motion at Qualia to advising founders on GTM strategy, sales hiring, RevOps, and high-converting messaging—Scott has helped shape some of the fastest-growing startups on the planet.
He’s also the founder of Surf & Sales Summit, runs the VC firm Milos Ventures, and is a 2× Amazon #1 bestselling author.
If you’re trying to scale revenue without burning capital or headcount—Scott’s the first call you make.
Bonus: The Human-First Sales Playbook (Free Download)
Want to scale like Scott? Download The Human-First Sales Playbook—a tactical guide based on Scott's proven strategies for building $25M ARR companies without VC dependency.
This isn't generic advice—it's a battle-tested system to help you:
- Build a referral partner network that generates $1M+ pipeline
- Hire stage-appropriate reps who thrive in startup chaos
- Create messaging that actually converts (the #1 thing that's broken)
- Turn networking into your most powerful sales channel
- Scale teams without scaling headcount or burning cash
Learn how Scott scaled from $0 to $25M—then ask our AI Avatar trained on every growth tactic, team-building lesson, and GTM shift behind the journey.
Follow Edbound With Kinner Podcast:
Stay connected for future episodes, frameworks, and insights. Follow Edbound on:
Spotify
Where to Find Kinner N Sacchdev
Where to Find Scott Leese Ladha
Episode Timestamps
- 00:00 – Why Scott chose sales as the ultimate meritocracy
- 05:30 – The 3-step formula: Product-market fit, ICP precision, simplified messaging
- 09:09 – Real talk: Would Scott help a generic CRM company?
- 15:15 – How to pick your ICP when signals come from everywhere
- 18:27 – The $1M referral partner hack that beats cold outreach every time
- 22:33 – Why Scott responds to cold messages (and what gets his attention)
- 26:30 – Hiring playbook: Why you need 3 reps, not 1, and the questions that matter
- 33:25 – Community building as a revenue driver from day one
- 38:05 – Content creation as prospecting: The progression from commenting to authoring
- 42:11 – The #1 thing that's broken at 100% of companies (it's not what you think)
- 49:44 – Why only 40% of reps hit quota and how to fix it
- 51:23 – The counter-intuitive advice: Go human when everyone goes AI
Ready to Build Your Human-First Advantage?
Learn from the Coach Who's Guided 100+ Companies to $25M ARR
Unlock Scott Leese's exact strategies for turning relationships into revenue while your competitors fight over automated scraps. From his legendary referral partner system to hiring reps who actually perform, this is your blueprint for building a sales machine that works in 2025.
Steal the GTM strategy that favors networks over funnels—then explore more with our AI Avatar built from top sales, growth, and GTM minds.