Revenue Architecture
📐 Operator Essays · GTM Design · Pipeline Math · Comp + Org
Operator-grade essays on GTM design, pipeline math, comp + org architecture, segmentation, motion design — built for CROs, fractional CROs, and revenue leaders.
Not blog posts. Not vendor white papers. Operator essays — the kind you'd hand a new CRO on day one. How to architect a go-to-market motion from scratch. How to derive the pipeline-coverage ratio your model actually needs (not the lazy 3x rule). How to design a comp plan that pays for the behavior you want and not the behavior you'll regret in Q3. How to slice segmentation so ICP doesn't drift into "anyone with a pulse and a budget." How to choose between sales-led, product-led, and hybrid motion when your CAC payback is sliding. How to build a sales org chart that scales past 30 reps without collapsing into 4-layer middle management. Written from the inside — Jacco van der Kooij, Winning by Design, Bridge Group, SaaStr, Pavilion territory — opinionated, defensible, free.
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What lives here
Revenue Architecture is the strategic CRO desk of Pulse — long-form essays on how to actually design a modern go-to-market machine. The recurring topics:
- GTM design — sales-led vs product-led vs hybrid, when to switch motions, how to sequence land/expand/upsell, where channel + partner fits
- Pipeline math — coverage ratios derived from real win-rate and cycle-time, capacity planning, ramp modeling, attainment distributions, forecast accuracy
- Conversion architecture — stage-by-stage conversion math, where pipeline actually leaks, MQL→SQL→SAO→CW conversion floors, exit criteria that hold
- Comp + quota design — OTE benchmarks by motion, accelerator structure, SPIFFs that don't backfire, quota relief, plan economics that survive comp committee
- Sales org structure — pod vs hunter-farmer vs segment-aligned, span of control, manager:rep ratio, when to split AE/AM/CSM, how to layer enterprise
- Segmentation + ICP — firmographic + technographic + behavioral signals, tiering, account scoring, how to keep ICP from drifting under pipeline pressure
- Motion design + unit economics — CAC payback, LTV:CAC, magic number, Rule of 40, net retention architecture, expansion motion design
- RevOps tech stack — CRM + engagement + intel + enablement + forecasting stack architecture, where to consolidate, where to specialize, integration patterns
- Channel architecture — direct vs partner vs marketplace, conflict resolution, deal registration, MDF, partner-sourced vs partner-influenced pipeline
- Fractional CRO playbooks — 30/60/90 plans, diagnostic frameworks, the audits that actually surface root cause, board-ready reporting
Use them to architect a function from scratch, repair a broken motion mid-flight, or pressure-test a plan before you take it to the board. Every essay is opinionated, defensible, and citation-backed — the goal is to be the resource a sitting CRO would actually keep open in a tab.