Darwinian Ventures

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global head of demand generation at an AI computing startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Darwinian Ventures?

We were seeking development support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed an outsourcing partner to drive strong top of funnel performance through coordinated marketing and sales development efforts. We wanted to work with an agency that could move quickly in an evolving market and adapt as we go to optimize outcomes.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of 3–4 people that provide development and project management support.

How did you come to work with Darwinian Ventures?

They came to us through a referral. They were part of a list of vendors we evaluated. What made them the best choice was their interest level in understanding our value proposition. It felt like Darwinian Ventures took an interest in our objectives and goals. Other vendors seemed to be more process-oriented and not agile. We liked that Darwinian Ventures had the right expertise and agility. We needed a partner to optimize alongside us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It’s still early in our engagement, but we’ve been impressed with their abilities. Their team was able to learn about a highly technical solution to engage our prospects. They can collaborate with internal stakeholders to match strategic plans with desired business outcomes.

How did Darwinian Ventures perform from a project management standpoint?

The workflows and communications are seamless. We’ve set up an OneTeam structure that works well. They’re consistent with sending a weekly report. We also have weekly meetings and use Slack for daily communications. They’re very communicative about successes, areas for clarification, and pitching.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate their expertise. Their insight has been of value. The team is also comprised of nice people we like to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any feedback on room for improvement. So far, everything is working well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The project leader understands your strategy and objectives. Make sure that you’re confident in their abilities as a partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an enterprise B2B SaaS company in the proptech space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Darwinian Ventures?

We engaged Darwinian to assist with lead generation and revenue operations in addition to implementation of early sales infrastructure and processes.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to supercharge our learning curve as an early startup with an emphasis on sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select Darwinian Ventures?

We went through a thorough interview process for B2B revenue agencies. We liked Darwinian's highly integrated model, experienced team and problem solving mentality.

Describe the project in detail.

The project had 4 main parts.

1. Storefront and messaging - The Darwinian team consulted on our website, pitch deck and other sales collateral.
2. CRM - they procured Hubspot with their preferred pricing and guided us through the CRM implementation.
3. Sales enablement tools - Darwinian comes with high quality lead data through their partnership with Zoominfo which we were able to leverage. There were additional budget friendly sales enablement tools that Darwinian identified and implemented to help us prospect at scale.
4. Prospecting - The Darwinian team exceeded our monthly prospecting expectations. Darwinian operates on a fixed retainer, billed monthly.

What was the team composition?

I worked with their Managing Director who oversaw the project. They had a sales ops professional that managed all things CRM / tooling. A dedicated BDR was responsible for booking net new meetings for us. They did not rotate people in and out. It was the same core team throughout the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In addition to exceeding sales goals with 20+ net new meetings booked in the first month, they successfully designed and implemented a scalable sales playbook.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was extremely straightforward. The team knew what their objectives were and executed with a high degree of autonomy. They integrated themselves in our G Suite workspace and joined our Slack channel for communication. We had weekly check-ins and pipeline meetings to ensure we stayed on track.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I like the early stage B2B experience the team brings. They have a 'get it done' mentality that required little to no oversight. In our experience, Darwinian is a team that does both the white-boarding and execution, which is difficult to find.

Are there any areas for improvement?

More mature processes and timelines of deliverables.