Most companies run two separate games: a hyper-instrumented acquisition pipeline and a chaotic, half-visible expansion pipeline. Kunal brings the PE/operator view on how to scientifically prioritize and track acquisition, while Dave brings the Go to Customer lens on pre-intent signals and expansion. The episode maps where both sides are failing - bad data, blind spots, and misaligned views of the buyer - and sets up the next episode: designing a unified pipeline dashboard for 2026.

Key takeaways:

• Account prioritization is science, not gut feel.
• Your CRM is lying to you if it only has 16% of the story.
• If you’re not on the “day-one list,” you’re already losing.
• Pre-intent is where the hidden pipeline lives.
• Expansion deserves the same rigor as acquisition.
• Most pipelines need a ruthless clean-up.
• The future: one unified revenue dashboard.

This episode zeroes in on retellability- why deals die in the room you’re not in, and how to design a short, problem-first message that a buyer can carry and reuse. Mark Bourgeois (Oratium) breaks down trimming bloated decks to a 5–7 slide story, leading with the customer’s problem, and using clear headlines so your champion can replay the narrative internally. Bottom line: If they can’t retell it, you won’t win it.

Current State & Problem

• Teams show up late and lead with catalog decks instead of a buyer-ready story.
• Messages are sender-centric; they don’t travel across the stakeholder group.
• Champions aren’t equipped to replay the narrative—so momentum stalls.
• Meetings are overstuffed: too much presenting, not enough discussion.
• Content lacks a named problem/initiative, so nothing sticks or spreads.

Key Takeaways & Insights

• Retellability is the acid test: If a non-expert can replay it, you’re in the game.
• Problem first, product later: Lead with the customer’s problem, impact, and stakes.
• 5–7 slide arc: Problem → impact → how we solve → proof/objections → next step.
• Headlines > bullets: Each slide needs a sentence headline that tells the story.
• Design for conversation: Aim for ~1/3 content, 2/3 discussion in the meeting.
• Name the problem: Give the initiative a simple, memorable handle people can repeat.
• Make slides reusable: Build them so champions can forward without you in the room.
• Practice like a playbook: Shorten, sharpen, rehearse- then coach the team to deliver.

This episode explores how enterprise sellers can win more consistently by understanding how decision-makers actually make choices. Bryan Gray breaks down the concept of “threat-based prioritization” and why the brain’s decision-making process demands a different approach than traditional pain point selling. The conversation ties directly into Polaris I/O’s focus on surfacing pre-intent signals and equipping account teams to prioritize opportunities that have real urgency.

Current State & Problem

• Sellers waste time on well-intentioned, rational proposals that never close.
• Most don’t understand how human decision-making actually works, especially in large account teams.
• Teams confuse pain points with priorities and miss the urgency that drives action.
• Despite plenty of good ideas and strong ROI, stakeholders don’t act unless they feel a threat.

Key Takeaways & Insights

• Threat ≠ Fear: A threat is a real, urgent priority—fear is only an emotional reaction.
• Pain Points Don’t Move Deals: Just because something is annoying doesn’t mean it’ll be acted on.
• The Primitive Brain Drives Decisions: 90% of choices are emotional and happen before logic kicks in.
• Sellers Need to Name the Threat: You must be able to articulate a specific threat you’re helping eliminate.
• Relevance Wins Access: Your message must trigger the primitive brain within 30 seconds to get executive attention.
• Threats Unlock Margin: Urgent priorities lead to bigger deals, less competition, and higher value.

Tie to Polaris I/O & CIS Motion

• Validates the Polaris approach of surfacing pre-intent signals to find real threats early.
• Reinforces the CIS's job of translating signal into prioritized opportunity pursuit.
• Positions “Name That Threat” as a skill CISs must develop to refine messaging and opportunity ranking.
• Emphasizes the power of internal access and early alignment for higher-margin deals.