Revenue leaders play a critical role in driving the growth and success of a business. A successful revenue leader possesses a combination of strategic thinking, business acumen, and leadership skills. They are adept at analyzing market trends and customer behavior, identifying new revenue opportunities, and developing innovative solutions to drive growth. They also possess strong communication skills, which enable them to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, inspire and motivate their teams, and build strong relationships with customers and partners.
Ranjitha Kurra is a revenue leader with 15 years of experience crafting go-to-market strategies for new products and services spanning Fortune 500 companies to pre-revenue startups across multiple industries. She sat down with us to share her career trajectory and what it takes to nurture a successful career in revenue leadership roles.
How does your work create a major impact on your clients and the people you work with?
Early in my career, as a management consultant, I had the opportunity to work on multiple products and business launches across a broad range of companies. I had a unique vantage point into the inner workings of various organizations, enabling me to build playbooks for launching new businesses such as crafting successful go to market plans, effective decision making especially in ambiguous environments, building high performance teams, etc.
Today, I work with mission-driven companies to put that experience to good use. I partner with large enterprise customers to solve complex problems that, when solved, will have a positive impact on the world. For example, I'm currently driving B2B initiatives at Remitly that are focused on improving financial access for immigrant communities across the world. Before that, at Convoy, I worked on sustainable shipping solutions that reduced empty miles and emissions.
I love working on hard problems with good people. I believe that with the right people, a nurturing environment, and a disciplined approach, we can break down complex problems into manageable pieces and slowly add value to the world at large.
Tell us about your experience at Convoy.
Convoy is a hyper-growth start-up in supply chain and logistics. We were disrupting all industry norms. I joined at the tail end of series B and built the go-to-market function from the ground up. Our revenue was more than doubling year over year, and we were disrupting existing freight businesses. As a result, we couldn't rely on existing data or business models to make decisions. So, we made up our own and developed an agile planning process that allowed us to plan quarterly and, in some cases, monthly to adapt to the growth.
The nature of my job description changed on a weekly / monthly basis - I became the chief-get-stuff-done-officer. I spun up multiple new functions to support our growth, such as data and insights for customers, pricing, deal strategy and negotiation teams, and an expansion team, among many others. It was a great learning experience.
Please help us better understand your role at Remitly.
I'm responsible for Remitly's B2B business within the wider C2C company. We can talk about "intrapreneurship" and how that differs from starting something from scratch. In this case, you don't have to raise funds. You have the backing of an established brand name and the market presence of the parent company, which opens many doors. However, there are challenges too. For example, you have to coordinate and function within a wider or larger organization; that can come with more complexity compared to building from zero.
There are so many successful revenue leaders in the industry. Although your expertise and credibility are undeniable, what sets you apart from the others?
Most sales leaders grow up in sales. They start from a frontline AE job and grow into CRO roles. I took a different path. I come from a strategy background, advising C-suite and boards on their new product strategy. This means I have a much broader set of experiences to draw from across industries and company sizes.
I can pattern-match a problem and find multiple solutions. I don't mind making quick decisions and iteratively testing a theory versus waiting for the perfect plan. I can navigate ambiguous or uncertain situations well. A salesperson who grew up in that role has deep functional experience in selling but may not necessarily have set up the function from scratch. A CRO is much more of a strategist than a front-line sales leader.
What advice do you have for rising sales leaders?
Sales leadership is a balancing act between crafting the long-term strategy for the business and translating that into simple execution plans that post results. Most leaders gravitate toward one end of the spectrum or the other. That's great; play to your strengths, but hire a team that complements your skill-set.
Build a decision making toolkit and hone your instincts. Understand that there's never a perfect plan - learn to analyze your options thoroughly, make quick but informed decisions, and test and refine your approach. Over time, you'll develop an instinct for making the right calls. When you do make a wrong decision, don't fret over it. Learn from the experience and repeat the process. Don't be paralyzed by big decisions, break them into their component parts and experiment until you find the right solution.
Finally, be brutal with how you prioritize your time, it is your most valuable asset. Identify no more than 3-5 high leverage projects where you'll personally spend your mindspace. Delegate the rest to your trusted team, set the right goals, follow along on the progress, and only step in when needed.
Woman on the Rise
Ranjitha Kurra is currently a Vice President at Remitly, a leading digital financial services provider for immigrants and their families, where she is leading B2B initiatives. Prior to that, she was the GM of mid-market at Convoy, a hyper-growth supply chain start-up, where she introduced Convoy's suite of products to a brand new segment. She is a trailblazer in the complex field of revenue building and management and serves as a role model for aspiring women executives in revenue functions.
