In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Sam Jacobs, Founder and CEO of Pavilion, the global community for GTM leaders. Sam shares how getting fired multiple times as a CRO led him to build a business rooted in belonging — one that monetized members first, prioritized intimacy over growth, and turned a Slack group into a multimillion-dollar company. He and CJ unpack the mechanics of community: the tradeoffs between exclusivity and expansion, why venture capital doesn’t always fit human-centered businesses, and how Pavilion balances pricing, curation, and access. They also explore the evolution of the GTM function — from the myth of the plug-and-play VP of Sales to how AI is reshaping RevOps, forecasting, and leadership. Finally, Sam reflects on building durable value beyond personal brand and what it really takes to scale trust as a product.

—

LINKS:

Sam Jacbos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/

Company: https://www.joinpavilion.com/

CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222

Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

—

RELATED EPISODES:

E120: What does the future of tech look like when it costs $0 to switch software?

CFOs: Want to Outmaneuver Your Competitors? Here’s the Jedi Mind Trick

The Gross Margin Episode with Sarah Wang of a16z

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Preview and Intro

(00:01:32) Guest Intro: Who is Sam Jacobs and what is Pavilion?

(00:02:56) Sponsor – Mercury, RightRev, Tipalti

(00:06:50) Interview begins: Welcome & banter

(00:07:27) What is Pavilion? Mission and community focus

(00:08:45) Building Pavilion from necessity after multiple firings

(00:10:05) Monetizing members before sponsorships

(00:12:14) Scaling intimacy: dinners to conferences

(00:14:32) Balancing growth, exclusivity, and community economics

(00:16:30) Sponsor – Aleph, Fidelity Private Shares, Metronome

(00:17:00) CRO lessons and leadership philosophies

(00:19:28) The myth of the plug-and-play VP of Sales

(00:21:42) Quota setting, lead routing, and compensation pitfalls

(00:25:05) How AI is really changing sales and GTM teams

(00:29:15) Why time is the most underrated moat

(00:32:40) Venture capital vs. community businesses

(00:37:02) Pavilion’s path: member value, pricing, and curation

(00:41:19) Managing brand, exclusivity, and self-serve tension

(00:46:05) The “Groucho Marx problem” in communities

(00:49:30) Launching Pavilion Gold and premium tiers

(00:52:40) Using price as a filter for engagement

(00:56:30) Building long-term value beyond personal brand

(00:59:20) Distribution, YouTube, and creator-led growth

(01:02:10) Closing reflections and takeaways

—

SPONSORS:

Mercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.com

RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.

Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.

Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run

Fidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.

Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com

#RunTheNumbersPodcast #Finance #CommunityBuilding #Leadership #GoToMarket

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

Getting fired 4 times made me a founder | Sam Jacobs of Pavilion

Run the Numbers