Andy Mowat is the Co-Founder of Whispered, and is responsible for building incredible RevOps and GTM systems at unicorns like Upwork, Box, and Culture Amp. With over two decades of experience leading marketing ops, sales ops, and go-to-market infrastructure, Andy is a true pioneer of modern RevOps. Today, he’s building tools to help tech executives collaborate on company insights, search strategies, introductions, and the deepest database of unposted GTM roles anywhere.
Discussed in this Episode:
Why 80–98% of VP and C-level roles are never posted—and how to access them.
The importance of clarity: how GTM operators should articulate their focus to stand out.
How venture networks and backchanneling drive most executive hiring decisions.
The rise (and limits) of fractional work as a bridge between full-time roles.
What AI agents are doing behind the scenes at Whispered to match execs to roles.
Why company stage, growth rate, and CEO quality are critical in picking your next role.
What GTM functions (e.g. RevOps, Demand Gen) are most in-demand right now.
Highlights:
04:30 Why most executive roles are never posted
07:00 How Whispered operates as a curated talent network
13:30 Why GTM execs struggle to articulate their focus—and how to fix it
16:45 The right way to build a target company list
21:00 Engaging your network and VC talent teams the right way
28:00 What AI is (and isn’t) changing about hiring and team structure
34:00 How to evaluate growth-stage companies and pick winners
36:30 Head of vs. VP vs. CRO: The real meaning of title across company sizes
41:00 Most common mistakes execs make in their job search
44:30 Using customer advocacy and growth loops to scale Whispered
46:00 Is email dead? Why it's still critical to GTM and talent outreach
Guest Speaker Links (Andy Mowat):
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amowat/
Whispered: https://www.whispered.com/
Resources Mentioned:
“The Reasons Companies Don’t Post Roles”
→ Covers why executive roles often remain unlisted—e.g., roles are in flux, confidential transitions, or posted only for formality.“The Pros and Cons of Fractional” (co-created with Neil Weitzman)
→ Breaks down when fractional roles work, when they don’t, and how operators can think about fractional work in a tough hiring market.“The Focus Statement Template”
→ A Google Doc-style worksheet to help executives define their ideal role, company stage, function, sector, and target company list.“How to Work with VC Talent Teams”
→ A tactical guide on how to engage with venture capital talent teams effectively (e.g., what to ask, how to prepare, what not to do).“Ambiguous Roles Will Derail Your Career”
→ Discusses why roles like COO, Chief of Staff, BizOps, and Operating Partner can be risky or hard to grow from without a clear trajectory.“The Value of Niching Down”
→ Encourages candidates to specialize and be specific to stand out and receive better, faster support from networks and recruiters.“Polishing Candidates”
→ A framework for turning solid but overlooked operators into highly referencable, top-tier candidates.“Should You Be the #1 or #2 in a Company?”
→ Helps executives decide whether to pursue a head-of role at a smaller company or take a deputy role at a larger one with brand equity.
Host Speaker Links (Sophie Buonassisi):
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@sophiebuonassisi
Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):
Website: https://gtmnow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
YouTube: @gtm_now
The GTM Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/
Sponsor: Qualified
Qualified is the Agentic Marketing Platform with the world's leading SDR agent, Piper the AI SDR. Marketing teams trust Piper to autonomously drive inbound pipeline at scale, delivering real-time engagement and conversion. Trusted by top brands like Asana, Box, Brex, Clari, GE Healthcare, and more, Qualified is redefining how companies generate pipeline in the age of AI.
Sponsor Link: https://www.qualified.com/plus/category/ai-sdr-summit?utm_source=gtmfund
The GTM Podcast
The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.
Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.
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