Topline2 Maalis 2025

E98: Ryan Burke on Zilla Security’s $175M Aquisition and the Realities of M&A

In this episode of Topline, we sit down with Ryan Burke, VP of Sales at CyberArk (former VP of Sales at Zilla Security), to dive deep into the $175 million acquisition of Zilla. Ryan shares what it’s really like to navigate an exit in today’s market—from the unexpected nature of M&A deals to the grueling due diligence process and the tough decisions that founders and executives face. We also explore the evolving cybersecurity landscape, why big platforms are scooping up smaller companies earlier, and how AI is both a threat and an opportunity in the industry. Plus, we discuss the power of trusted networks in sales, whether the "Rolodex hire" is making a comeback, and how partnerships are shaping go-to-market strategies.

Thanks for tuning in! Want more content from Pavilion?

New episodes of Topline drop every Sunday with new Topline Spotlight mini-episodes every Thursday. Subscribe to never miss an episode.

Stay ahead with the latest industry developments, emerging go-to-market trends, and valuable benchmarking data. Subscribe to Topline Newsletter for GTM insights from Asad Zaman every Thursday.

Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. He dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success as a revenue leader, featuring real operators like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.

Your’re invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!

Key Chapters:

(00:00) - The Exciting Exit of Zilla Security

(07:40) - Navigating the Acquisition Process

(16:19) - The Impact of Market Conditions on Startups

(25:04) - Sales Team Dynamics During Transitions

(32:32) - Trends in Cybersecurity and AI's Role

(35:20) - Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges

(38:38) - Mergers and Acquisitions in Cybersecurity

(40:32) - The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity

(43:14) - The Role of Trusted Networks in Sales

(49:06) - Innovative Partnerships and Their Importance

(01:00:01) - Effective Communication in Professional Settings

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(167)

E100: Driving Business Growth When Uncertainty is the Only Constant

In this milestone episode, Sam, Asad, and AJ reflect on how they’ve grown as leaders, how their perspectives have evolved, and what lessons they’ve learned along the way. We discuss the increasing dif...

16 Maalis 20251h 10min

SPOTLIGHT: Shifting ICPs Without Breaking CS with Demetra Anagnostopoulos of SurePeople

In this Topline Spotlight episode, Demetra Anagnostopoulos, CCO at SurePeople, shares insights on navigating a critical shift in SurePeople’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) from serving large enterprise...

13 Maalis 202520min

E99: How GTM Revenue Leaders Are Operationalizing AI for Growth with Kyle Norton of Owner.com

AI is revolutionizing the way revenue teams operate, but how much of the hype is real? In this episode of Topline, Sam, AJ, and Asad are joined by Kyle Norton to dive deep into how AI is actually bein...

9 Maalis 20251h 20min

SPOTLIGHT: Alon Talmor, CEO of Ask-AI, on Why Most AI Solutions Fail to Prove Their Worth

The AI market is noisy, but real business value is hard to prove. In this episode, Alon Talmor, CEO of Ask-AI, tackles the biggest challenge in AI adoption—demonstrating measurable ROI. He shares why ...

6 Maalis 202519min

SPOTLIGHT: Kyle Lacy of Jellyfish on Improving Pipeline Quality and Forecasting Predictability

How do you build a revenue engine that doesn’t just generate pipeline—but generates the right pipeline? In this episode, Kyle Lacy, CMO of Jellyfish, shares how his team tackled one of the biggest cha...

27 Helmi 202517min

E97: Dead or Alive? The Great Outbound Sales Debate

Is outbound sales really dead, or are we just doing it wrong? In this episode of Topline, AJ and Asad dive into one of the most debated topics in B2B sales—whether outbound still works in today’s mark...

23 Helmi 20251h 7min

SPOTLIGHT: Shensi Ding of Merge on the High-Stakes Search for a Stage-Appropriate CRO

Hiring a CRO is one of the most high-stakes decisions a founder can make—especially when a company is transitioning from SMB to enterprise sales. In this episode of Topline Spotlight, Shensi Ding, Co-...

20 Helmi 202522min