From The Next Decision Podcast: A Conversation with Santosh Sharon, “The King of B2B Data”
“Predictable revenue is dead.”
That’s the blunt reality shared by Santosh Sharon—CEO of Zikr and a veteran of ZoomInfo, Apollo, and R2B2—on this episode of The Next Decision. Host Jarie Bolander dives in with Santosh on why the old sales playbooks no longer work, how buyer-led growth is reshaping GTM strategy, and what it really means to build an AI-first company in 2025.
In this recap, we’ll break down the key takeaways: why buyers don’t need your funnel anymore, how AI is changing content and discovery, and what founders must decide next to stay relevant.
Buyers Don’t Need You at the Top of the Funnel
For decades, sales and marketing was seller-led: cold calls, SDR cadences, gated PDFs. But as Santosh explains, today’s buyers arrive at the demo already educated, shortlisting vendors on their own.
“Literally they get on the demo and they know more than the salesperson does… Predictable revenue is dead because people just don’t do that anymore.”
With free access to data, community recommendations, and AI-powered research, the old “fill the funnel” approach has become noise. The top of the funnel isn’t human anymore—it’s algorithmic.
When Playbooks Become Commodities
Tactics that once felt innovative—automated email campaigns, intent data, outbound sequences—are now table stakes.
“The success of these tactics is what makes them commodities. There’s no arbitrage left. Old playbooks don’t work anymore.”
Santosh and Jarie discuss Jason Cohen’s “Elephant Curve”: every marketing channel peaks, then declines. The winners stack curves—finding the next wave before the old one dies.
Writing for AI, Not Just People
Another shift? Content is no longer just for human eyes. Large language models (LLMs) now sit between brands and buyers, parsing material before a prospect even sees it.
“I don’t remember the last time I did a search—I’m using the lens.”
That changes how companies must think about content: not 800-word SEO blogs, but 5,000-word deep dives written to be understood by both humans and machines. Quality content will always matter—but only if it’s designed to be discoverable by AI.
Agent-to-Agent Sales: A Different Funnel Altogether
The most radical idea in the episode is Santosh’s vision of agent-to-agent funnels. Instead of human SDRs spamming inboxes, autonomous agents will interact, exchange data, and surface options when a buyer is actually ready.
“In this model, the top of funnel is more agent-to-agent. Then you get a signal that says, ‘Hey, are you ready? Here are the three we recommend.’ That is totally different.”
This flips GTM from interruption to orchestration. Instead of noise, buyers get relevance.
Lessons for Founders and GTM Leaders
So what’s the next decision leaders need to make? According to Santosh:
- Stop chasing outdated funnels. Noise doesn’t equal growth.
- Focus on outcomes, not outputs. Buyers care about problems solved, not product features.
- Think platforms, not point solutions. Products are democratized—value comes from solving more customer problems over time.
- Build AI-first, not AI-added. Bolting AI onto old models won’t work—start from bare metal.
As Jarie reminds us: “Category kings take 80% of the market. The rest fight for scraps. If you don’t adapt, you’re fighting for scraps.”
The Takeaway: Buyer-Led Growth Is Here
This isn’t a tweak to GTM strategy—it’s a wholesale shift. Buyers are in control, playbooks are commoditized, and AI is rewriting the rules of discovery.
The companies that win won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the ones that listen, build trust, and design for the buyer-led future.
Listen to the Episode
Catch the full conversation with Santosh Sharon in Episode 5 of The Next Decision:
Available now on Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your shows.
Final Thought
If you’re a founder, marketer, or GTM leader:
Stop shouting. Start listening. The future belongs to the buyer.
