When I joined Stripe's enterprise organization, there was no clearly developed or communicated strategy for approaching Global 2000 accounts. The sales team lacked the clarity needed to move efficiently and effectively, which created confusion about priorities and how to allocate resources. It was clear that building a comprehensive, data-driven strategy from scratch was essential to unlock the team's potential.
I led a rigorous, bottom-up approach to strategy development. We began with an employee survey that gathered deep insights into what was working, what wasn't, areas being overlooked, and bold ideas worth pursuing. After reviewing 120 responses spanning over 60 pages of feedback, we validated our core tenets and strategic direction. Next, we conducted a thorough analysis of historical wins and losses, as well as our existing customer base, to identify our ideal customer sweet spots and prioritization framework. This research culminated in a six-page strategy paper that synthesized all of our thinking, providing both the sales team and executive leadership with complete clarity on our path forward. The paper also created a healthy forum for debate and refinement.
The impact was immediate and profound. Team cohesiveness improved dramatically—people felt heard and appreciated the speed at which we moved. While our 6-9 month sales cycles meant quantitative results took time to materialize, the qualitative signals were strong from day one. Months later, we confirmed that our strategic focus was nearly perfect, validating the rigor of our research-driven approach and the power of building strategy collaboratively with the team who would execute it.