Episode Details

Most sales teams are still trying to scale pipeline the old way: hire more reps, add more tools, push for more activity, and hope the numbers move. But Rakesh Patni believes that playbook is being rewritten. The next era of go-to-market will be built around systems, signals, automation, and AI agents working alongside sales teams to help them move faster, make better decisions, and prioritise the accounts most likely to buy.

In this episode, Rakesh joins Paul Perrett in Singapore to unpack how AI is changing the mechanics of B2B sales. From his early years building a trading business, to founding companies, advising global technology leaders, and leading AI and automation research at IDC across Asia-Pacific and Japan, Rakesh brings a rare mix of operator experience and enterprise AI perspective.

Together, they explore why data quality is still the foundation of any GTM engine, how buying signals are changing outbound prioritisation, why the role of the SDR and AE is evolving, and what it means for CROs to manage not just people, but eventually a hybrid human and AI workforce.

Why you should listen:

If you’re a founder, CRO, sales leader, RevOps operator, or anyone trying to understand how AI will actually change go-to-market, this episode goes beyond the hype. Rakesh breaks down where AI creates real leverage, why most organisations fail to turn pilots into ROI, and why the best sales teams will stop thinking in terms of isolated tools and start thinking in systems.

This is a conversation about the future of sales, but it is also practical. How do you use signals to prioritise outreach? What should an AI agent actually do? What does a great sales hire look like in an AI-native world? And why might the next competitive advantage in B2B sales come from how fast your GTM system can learn, decide, and act?