Built Not Born: The Startup Go-To-Market Podcast
How Splunk Scaled to a $10B IPO: Tom Schodorf’s GTM Playbook for Founders
June 30, 2026
What if the sales strategies that built a $10B IPO could transform your go-to-market engine? In this episode of Built Not Born, host Sage Nye sits down with Tom Schodorf, the sales leader who helped scale Splunk from startup to a $10B IPO, to unpack what actually builds a high-performing go-to-market engine. Tom explains why defining your ICP and aligning company-wide messaging matter far more than aggressive hiring, and how documenting a repeatable sales process creates sustainable growth. He also shares hard-earned lessons about hiring the right support structure around sales teams, avoiding short-term thinking, and building a culture rooted in discipline, coaching, and accountability. From the “unit of one” hiring framework to adapting sales strategies in the AI era, this conversation offers founders and revenue leaders a practical blueprint for scaling without losing focus, clarity, or long-term momentum in increasingly competitive markets today.
What if the sales strategies that built a $10B IPO could transform your go-to-market engine?

In this episode of Built Not Born, host Sage Nye sits down with Tom Schodorf, the sales leader who helped scale Splunk from startup to a $10B IPO, to unpack what actually builds a high-performing go-to-market engine. Tom explains why defining your ICP and aligning company-wide messaging matter far more than aggressive hiring, and how documenting a repeatable sales process creates sustainable growth. 

He also shares hard-earned lessons about hiring the right support structure around sales teams, avoiding short-term thinking, and building a culture rooted in discipline, coaching, and accountability. From the “unit of one” hiring framework to adapting sales strategies in the AI era, this conversation offers founders and revenue leaders a practical blueprint for scaling without losing focus, clarity, or long-term momentum in increasingly competitive markets today. 

Here’s what you will learn:

Tom Schodorf
is a veteran sales and go-to-market executive best known for helping scale Splunk from startup to a $10B IPO. A former SVP of Field Operations at Splunk, he now serves as a board member, advisor, and coach to cybersecurity and AI infrastructure companies. With deep expertise across SaaS, cloud, and enterprise technology, Tom specializes in building scalable revenue organizations, aligning culture with execution, and driving long-term growth. His leadership philosophy combines disciplined processes, ethical decision-making, and customer-first thinking to create durable, high-performing teams. 

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