Build a Revenue Operations Function That Drives Predictable Growth

Navin Persaud, VP of Revenue Operations at 1Password, shares his blueprint for building a RevOps team that becomes the strategic center of your go-to-market engine.

Efficient growth has never been more critical. Yet many companies find their growth stalling because of operational friction, misaligned teams, and a lack of data-driven strategy. The solution? A strategic Revenue Operations function that acts as the “truth-teller” for your entire organization.

In this episode of The Go-to-Market Podcast, host Amy Cook sits down with Navin Persaud, VP of Revenue Operations at 1Password, to unpack exactly how to build, scale, and lead a RevOps function that delivers results.

Listen to the full episode to get Navin’s complete framework for RevOps success.

The 10% Rule How to Size Your RevOps Team

One of the most actionable insights from this conversation is Navin’s straightforward formula for team sizing.

“The ratio we operate under right now is around 10%. So 10% of the entire go-to-market org sits in rev ops.”

At 1Password, with a go-to-market organization of nearly 500 people, this translates to a RevOps function of 40 to 50 professionals. Use this benchmark to plan your own investment: a 50-person GTM team should plan for approximately 5 RevOps professionals.

What Your RevOps Function Should Own

Navin outlines a comprehensive scope that prevents the silos plaguing most organizations:

• Go-to-market analytics
• Territory management
• Sales incentive plans
• The entire go-to-market tech stack
• Partner operations
• Deal desk function

“Front of house is everything, forecast analysis, where the entire go-to-market org is our customers. Back of house is like, here are all the systems, here are all the data, all the integrations.”

This dual focus ensures RevOps serves both immediate revenue team needs and the long-term systems required for sustainable growth.

When to Make Your First RevOps Hire

Timing matters. Navin is clear: invest in RevOps once you have product-market fit. Waiting too long creates operational debt that becomes increasingly expensive to address.

“If your plan is, ‘you know what, my sales leader will sort of own that,’ or ‘my tech team will sort of own that,’ those are both recipes for disaster.”

The reasons differ but are equally problematic. Sales leaders lack the neutrality required for objective decisions about territories, compensation, and performance metrics. Tech teams will build something perfect that no sales team wants to use.

The Traits That Matter Most

Beyond technical skills, Navin emphasizes the soft skills that make RevOps professionals effective.

“You have to be humble and you have to be curious. Ironically, those are traits I look for when I hire for people on the rev ops team.”

He specifically seeks candidates with “a servant leadership mentality” who want to do right rather than simply be right. This orientation matters because RevOps professionals must collaborate across departments and build trust with frontline teams.

Prioritize Pace Over Perfection

Speed matters more than perfection in a growing company. Navin frames this through a vivid analogy that every leader should remember.

“I think of pivoting as like an oil tanker in the ocean. It takes a while to turn that thing around. You only have 12 months in a year to get your number. And if you’re gonna lose two and three of those months in terms of a pivot, that’s a hard bullet to swallow.”

A RevOps function that moves quickly allows the business to test, learn, and adapt without losing months to a single change.

Keep Your Tech Stack Under RevOps Control

Navin takes a strong stance on tech stack ownership during growth phases.

“Until you really have to, leave your go-to-market tech stack with your rev ops teams.”

When RevOps owns the systems, the team can configure tools for pace and usability rather than abstract perfection. They can respond to changing business needs without navigating bureaucratic approval processes.

Become the Source of Truth

The ultimate goal of RevOps is becoming the source of truth that powers everything from weekly pipeline calls to annual strategic planning.

“They’re gonna tell you where all the skeletons are hiding. They’re going to ensure the systems provide the data by which you can then generate the strategy.”

This transformation from reactive data manager to proactive strategic advisor requires clean systems, clear KPIs, and the ability to surface insights that leaders can act on.

Key Takeaways for RevOps Leaders

1. Use the 10% rule to size your RevOps investment appropriately
2. Consolidate ownership of analytics, territories, incentives, tech stack, and deal desk under one function
3. Hire for humility and curiosity alongside technical skills
4. Prioritize pace over perfection to avoid losing months to slow pivots
5. Keep your tech stack under RevOps control during growth phases
6. Position RevOps as the neutral truth-teller that removes emotion from strategic discussions

The companies that build this operational discipline will gain a sustainable, competitive advantage. The real question is not whether you can afford this function, but how long you can afford to operate without one.

Ready to align your GTM plan with execution? See how Fullcast’s approach to Territory Management helps RevOps leaders design, manage, and automate their plans directly in Salesforce.