Ryan Westwood, co-founder and CEO at Fullcast addressed this question during his opening keynote remarks at this year’s RevOpsAF event in New Orleans.
Revenue Operations (RevOps) is no longer just a behind-the-scenes function—it’s the heartbeat of efficient growth. “RevOps isn’t about dashboards. It’s about direction,” Ryan says—and his decades of executive leadership back it up.
With RevOps Co-op and its founder Matthew Volm, driving the movement toward strategic RevOps leadership through community-driven insights, expert resources, and events like this one, RevOps Co-op has been instrumental in empowering aspiring leaders to evolve into strategic and collaborative architects of revenue growth.
Today, RevOps leaders are stepping into roles once reserved for the C-suite. They translate complexity with clarity. They drive cross-functional collaboration. And they bring the data—and context—that fuels smarter decisions. This is no longer just a support function. It’s a seat at the table. And if you play it right, it’s your path to the boardroom.
From the Front Lines to the Boardroom
Over the years, Ryan has worked as a CEO, executive, venture capitalist, advisor, board member, and board chair, mentoring 46 new executives and 15 CEOs across industries and stages.
“Some of the most meaningful moments of my life happened not when I launched a product or closed a deal, but when I helped someone unlock the next stage of their career,” Ryan said.
“And one of the most overlooked levers for career acceleration today is RevOps.”
Master the Mechanics: Every Company Wants the Same Two Things
It’s easy to rally a team around top-line growth—more leads, more deals, more revenue. However, Ryan says that without operational efficiency to support that growth, the company struggles. Systems break. Costs expand. Customer experiences suffer. Growth becomes unsustainable, and chaos creeps in.
On the flip side, some organizations overcorrect by tightening operations to perfection, but in doing so, they stall momentum. Processes become rigid. Innovation slows. Growth opportunities slip through the cracks. That’s not scale—it’s stagnation.
The real challenge—and opportunity—is building a company that does both. For Ryan, that’s what separates good companies from great ones. At the heart of that balancing act is Revenue Operations.
RevOps isn’t just about managing tools or dashboards. Instead, it’s about connecting and collaborating across departments, surfacing the right data, and ensuring operations run smoothly and strategically.
As more companies explore revenue operations, studies show almost half (48%) of businesses have a RevOps function. Moreover, 21 percent of these companies report increases in sales productivity. RevOps is not a back-office function. You’re the architect of sustainable, scalable success.
Become the Bridge: Why RevOps Is the Engine of Efficient Growth
RevOps occupies a unique vantage point that few other roles can claim. Because you’re embedded across functions—from sales and marketing to customer success and finance—you can see how every part of the revenue engine performs. This cross-functional perspective is essential. You see where friction slows deals, handoffs drop leads, and inefficient workflows drain resources.
More importantly, you’re in a position to fix them.
“When I first started supporting hiring managers with Sales Ops and RevOps roles, I primarily partnered with sales leadership. As the role evolved, that dynamic shifted. I found myself working directly with the C-suite—not just at super early-stage, seed companies, but also at well-known, later-stage SaaS orgs. CROs, COOs, CFOs, and CEOs were all becoming deeply invested in making the right hire to drive strategic growth,” Bri Doyle, Director of RevOps Recruitment at Captivate Talent, wrote. “I think this started to highlight the broader scope of influence the role was having, and how essential RevOps was becoming in all growth-stages.”
RevOps is a force multiplier—not an add-on, but a catalyst that amplifies the performance of every go-to-market team.
However, with that influence comes real responsibility. RevOps leaders are now expected to guide smarter planning decisions—where to hire, what to invest in, and when to pull back. You bring the data that informs those calls, the systems that support scale, and the strategy that keeps customer experiences consistent across every touchpoint.
The truth is that efficient growth is no longer optional in today’s market. Boards demand it, investors expect it, and the most forward-thinking companies know they can’t achieve it without a strong RevOps foundation. You don’t just support the business—you make it work better, faster, and smarter.
Drive Efficiency that Lasts: Earn Your Power Seat Through Strategic Trust
According to Ryan, earning a seat at the strategic table starts with one essential currency: trust.
“In RevOps’s dynamic, data-driven world, trust is built on clarity—clarity in numbers, clarity in insights, and clarity in decision-making,” he said. “RevOps leaders are uniquely positioned to deliver this. You can access the metrics that matter most: pipeline health, conversion rates, customer lifetime value, and GTM performance. But more than access, you bring context—why the data looks the way it does and what to do about it. That makes you not just a source of information, but a source of truth.”
As your reliability grows, so does your influence. When executives face uncertainty—whether it’s headcount planning, entering a new market, or surviving a downturn—they look for voices they can trust.
“In RevOps, you are neutral by nature. You aren’t accountable for a specific quota or target, but you are tied to the revenue number by supporting the entire RevOps team,” Whitney Merrill, RevOps expert and GTM advisor wrote in Navigating the Final Frontier: Why Every CEO Needs a RevOps Captain. “There are often competing priorities from the different leaders in the GTM organization— whether it’s marketing, sales, customer care, or the different sales teams; the different GTM motions; or the cross-selling to engage—but you’re the neutral party (i.e., the “Switzerland” of revenue operations) where teams can come together and get a voice.”
Be that voice. Bring not just data but judgment. Offer not just reports but also foresight. Show how revenue can be protected and grown with precision. In doing so, you evolve from operator to strategic partner. “And as that trust deepens, you earn something even more powerful than a title: you earn a voice in the decisions that shape the business and your career. That’s real capital—and it compounds,” Ryan said.
Step into Strategic Planning
In today’s market, volatility is the norm. Economic shifts, evolving buyer behavior, and tech disruption dominate the headlines—and most companies scramble to keep up. They react by slashing budgets, shifting headcount, or spinning up new initiatives without a clear strategy.
But reaction isn’t adaptation.
“True adaptability requires foresight, structure, and the ability to course-correct in real-time,” Ryan said. “That’s precisely where RevOps shines. By sitting at the center of systems, data, and strategy, you have the tools to turn turbulence into opportunity—if the organization listens.”
Read more: Why is RevOps Becoming a Central Role in Revenue?
RevOps leaders who thrive in this environment make change manageable. They design systems that flex with shifting priorities, not against them. They deliver real-time visibility that keeps teams grounded in facts, not assumptions. Moreover, they align revenue-generating functions around shared outcomes, not siloed goals.
Market conditions demand companies to do more with less. RevOps doesn’t just support growth—it powers it efficiently and intentionally. You’re not the reaction team; you’re the reason your company stays ahead.
Earn Executive Trust: Transform Your Career
Did you know 87% of teams find it challenging to ensure process adherence? According to RevOps Co-op experts, this occurs because reps often “lack an understanding of the extra processes they are asked to follow and therefore don’t see the value in them.” Additionally, operational workflows are too complex to drive the right behaviors for reps, which leads to poor data hygiene and more administrative tasks for reps.
When RevOps leaders step into strategic conversations, they are indispensable as data analysts, process optimizers and business architects. The shift begins when you’re no longer just reporting metrics, but shaping the narrative around them. You bring the numbers that boards rely on to understand pipeline health, forecast accuracy, and margin efficiency. You translate operational complexity into clear insights that executives can act on. That level of contribution earns you more than respect—it earns you a seat in the room where real decisions are made.
As RevOps leaders become a trusted voice among the C-suite, this visibility naturally expands beyond your current role. Investors and board members will see you as a functional lead and a strategic asset. You’re included in due diligence conversations. You’re invited to advise on scaling challenges.
Sometimes, you’re asked to step into advisory or interim leadership roles. This is where career leverage is built—through strategic trust, consistent delivery, and a reputation for seeing the whole game. When you can speak the language of both systems and strategy, doors open that most operators never even see.
Capitalize on Your Strategic Value
Let’s talk equity. Strategic RevOps leaders don’t just grow companies—they earn a piece of them.
“In the current capital-conscious startup environment, equity isn’t handed out for hype—it’s earned through impact,” Ryan explained. “As venture funding slows and runway becomes more precious, the value of strategic operators has never been higher.”
Read more: Transformation Starts With Vision, Not Just Tools
He pointed out that RevOps leaders who can drive efficient growth, streamline go-to-market execution, and extend capital runways are increasingly seen as essential—not just to day-to-day operations but to the long-term viability of the business. And with that recognition comes real opportunity: not just bonuses or promotions, but equity, advisory roles, and board-level influence.
Being granted equity isn’t just about being early at a startup—it’s about being indispensable. Both investors and founders are looking for trusted partners who can navigate complexity, translate metrics into strategy, and move fast without breaking things. That’s where RevOps shines. Whether stepping in as a board advisor, serving as an interim GTM executive, or simply becoming the CEO’s most reliable strategic sounding board, your value multiplies when you show up as more than an operator. Equity follows influence—and in this market, the smartest RevOps leaders are earning both.
During the ReVopsAF event, Ryan explained that as the VC market shifts away from “growth at all costs,” funding rounds are spreading out:
- Seed to Series A: 2.2 years
- Series A to B: 2.5 years
- Series B to C: 2.4 years
His experience shows that founders are stretching capital. Investors are being more selective. And smart operators are more valuable than ever.
Typical Startup Equity by Role:
Role Typical Equity Range
Advisor 0.25%
Board Director 0.25% – 0.5%
Board Chair 1% – 1.5%
The more you show up as a strategist, the more doors open—inside and outside your company.
Navigating Tough Calls: Know When to Pivot
There’s a difference between perseverance and blind persistence. The data tells a sobering story: 85% of AI startups will likely fail in the first 3 years. Even in the best of times, 50% of startups fail to secure Series A funding.
Founders are encouraged to keep going at all costs, but that mindset can backfire when it means overlooking hard truths in the numbers. This is where strategic RevOps leadership becomes invaluable. You’re not just tracking metrics—you’re interpreting them, connecting the dots between financial health and market fit.
Read more: Why RevOps Needs a Strategic Seat at the Table
From churn rates and CAC to runway and retention, RevOps leaders are closest to the signals that matter most. “You see what’s scalable and what’s not. You spot early warning signs and emerging opportunities. And you’re often in the best position to help founders make their toughest calls—when to double down, pivot, and conserve resources,” Ryan said.
It’s not just about driving growth but guiding smart decisions that preserve optionality. In volatile markets, that kind of insight doesn’t just protect a company—it can be why it survives long enough to thrive.
This Isn’t Just a Role. It’s a Launchpad.
Being in RevOps today means shaping the trajectory of the entire business. You have a direct line of sight into how revenue flows, where bottlenecks exist, and what levers actually move the needle.
“The biggest contribution is the holistic perspective,” Cody Guymon, RevOps advisor, said. “You also want your Head of RevOps at the table to bring data into the conversation that supports a revenue-focused perspective that might be outside of the executive team’s view. The ultimate goal is to come out of the meeting with the right conclusion.”
Your work touches every key decision: headcount allocation, sales strategy, customer lifecycle, and tech stack efficiency. That kind of cross-functional impact makes RevOps one of the most powerful and underrecognized launchpads for leadership.
“You’re already doing the work of strategic planning—you just need to start owning the seat that comes with it,” Ryan said. “As companies evolve, so do expectations of leadership. Boards and investors are no longer just looking for big-picture thinkers—they want grounded, metrics-driven operators who know how to execute.”
That’s you.
When you earn trust through insight and foresight, your credibility extends beyond your current role. Suddenly, you’re not just hanging out in the room but helping shape the agenda. The next wave of board members, investors, and operating partners won’t all come from finance or product—they’ll come from RevOps because this role demands the same clarity, influence, and strategic thinking the boardroom values most.
Take the Boardroom Seat You’ve Earned
For Ryan, the primary message of this year’s RevOpsAF Conference is this: RevOps isn’t just supporting efficient growth—it’s enabling it. As businesses adapt to tighter budgets, shifting market demands, and rising expectations for performance, they’re turning to the people who can bring order to complexity.
You’ve already earned your seat at the center of strategy, systems, and execution. You connect the dots between teams, surface the truth in data, and drive initiatives that move the business forward. That’s not just valuable—it’s vital.
Now is the time to lead like it. Build on the trust you’ve earned by continuing to bring clarity where there’s confusion and confidence where there’s doubt—influence with insight, not just outputs.
Ryan added that when you step into that role with intention, you won’t just shape your company’s future—you’ll reshape your own. The boardroom, the advisory seat, and the investor call are all closer than you think. Take the seat you’ve earned. You’re not just part of the growth story—you’re writing it.
