How Max Altschuler Reveals the New Currency of GTM B2B SaaS Growth
Learn How Founders Build Their Brand, Content Strategy and Create Viral Moments.
Introduction
The email that changed everything was simple: "What if we raised a million dollars between 20 to 50 of us?"
That single question from Max Altschuler turned into a $22M Fund I, and now an oversubscribed $54M Fund II.
But here's something fascinating - while everyone in B2B was obsessing over metrics, attribution, and tracking every click, Max saw something bigger forming. A shift in how B2B SaaS decisions actually happen.
He spotted it first at Udemy as employee #8, where he had to figure out how to generate revenue with zero resources. No fancy tools. No big budgets. Just pure hustle and necessity driving innovation.
"We needed to do more with less. We didn't have the resources, we didn't have the headcount, we didn't have the money." So he got creative - hiring virtual assistants and cobbling together early sales tools into something that actually worked.
Other founders started asking questions. VCs wanted to know his secrets. So it started as informal advice sessions but quickly turned into Sales Hacker - a company that grew to 170,000+ subscribers before being acquired by Outreach in 2018.
But Max wasn't done. He saw critical patterns forming across the B2B space.
Then he started building something quietly, different than everyone else - an infrastructure where real B2B decisions happen.
Today, that vision has transformed into GTMfund, backed by 300+ operators from companies like OpenAI, Snowflake, AWS, Datadog, and Salesforce. But these aren't just investors - they're the architects of modern B2B growth, the people who've actually built billion-dollar success stories.
"It's become a labor of love. I'm getting the same out of it as our LPs are. I love working with all these different founders, helping them on this kind of niche topic of GTM."
Looking at Max's journey, you might think it was all carefully planned. The progression from Udemy to Sales Hacker to GTMfund seems almost too perfect. But here's what makes his story truly remarkable - none of it was planned.
"I never really had a plan… let's follow this and see what door is open..."
That openness to opportunity, combined with an uncanny ability to spot what others miss, has put him at the center of B2B's biggest transformation: the shift from metrics-driven marketing to trust-based networks.
Today, I'm breaking down exactly how Max built this empire, including:
- The real story behind Sales Hacker's growth to 170,000+ subscribers
- The exact frameworks he uses to spot winning companies
- Why trust networks are replacing traditional B2B channels
- How he turned a simple email into a $76M+ venture fund
- What's next for B2B decision-making
From studying his content and approach to analyzing his investment strategy, here’s the complete story of how Max accidentally built B2B's most powerful trust network.
The Founder Story
Most founders try to hack growth. Max decided to hack trust instead.
This wasn't the obvious path for someone in B2B tech, where every decision is supposed to be measured, tracked, and optimized. But Max saw something others missed - a massive shift in how business actually works.
While everyone in B2B was obsessing over tracking every click, Max saw something different forming at Udemy as employee #8. With zero resources and no fancy tools, he had to figure out how to generate revenue. What he discovered wasn't just about sales tactics - it was about building relationships that scale.
"We needed to do more with less. We didn't have the resources, we didn't have the headcount, we didn't have the money."
This constraint forced innovation, leading Max to piece together basic tools and virtual assistants into something that actually worked.
But the real insight came when other founders started asking for advice. Instead of keeping his knowledge private, Max saw an opportunity to scale these insights through community. So what started as informal advice sessions quickly evolved into Sales Hacker - a platform that grew to 170,000+ subscribers before being acquired by Outreach in 2018.
Through Sales Hacker's growth, Max noticed something crucial about B2B decisions: they weren't happening in sales funnels anymore. They were happening in trusted networks, long before GTM B2B SaaS SDRs even knew about them.
This observation shaped everything he built next.
At Outreach as VP of Marketing, he helped grow ARR 3.5x in under two years, proving his community-first approach could work at scale. The company reached a $4.4 billion valuation, with community driving much of its growth.
But Max wasn't done. The patterns he saw in B2B kept pointing to one truth: trust networks were becoming the new currency of business. Traditional metrics and attribution were failing to capture how decisions really happened.
That's when GTMfund emerged - not just as another venture fund, but as an infrastructure for how modern B2B actually works. Backed by 300+ operators from companies like OpenAI, Snowflake, and AWS, it's built around a simple truth: communities drive decisions.
The results tell the story:
- $22M Fund I
- Oversubscribed $54M Fund II
- Portfolio companies getting instant access to proven operators
- A complete ecosystem spanning fund, talent, community, and media
In 2024, Max launched Operator to address what he calls "The Great Ignore" - the growing ineffectiveness of traditional outreach. Built to help companies nurture real relationships at scale, it represents his vision of how B2B will work in an AI-enabled world.
- 73% of B2B buying decisions happen before vendors know about them
- Buyers validate choices in trusted networks first
- Attribution is becoming increasingly difficult to track
- Communities drive more qualified opportunities than cold outreach
Today, four communities have emerged as the essential gathering places where B2B decisions are validated:
- SaaStr with Jason Lemkin
- Exit Five with Dave Gerhardt
- GTMfund with Max Altschuler
- Pavilion with Sam Jacobs
These aren't just networking spaces - they're the new infrastructure of B2B decision-making.
While others chase metrics and attribution, Max is building the networks where real business happens.
Max's insights about modern B2B weren't just proven through his companies - they were codified in three books published by Wiley. His trilogy offers a complete blueprint for navigating the new world of B2B relationships:
- Hacking Sales shows how to build systematic approaches to growth.
- Sales Engagement reveals the mechanics of meaningful customer interactions.
- Career Hacking for Millennials provides a framework for professional development in the digital age.
His journey and strategy reveal something powerful about modern B2B: success isn't about optimizing funnels anymore. It's about being present in the right communities, building trust before you need it, and understanding that relationships scale better than automation.
The future Max saw coming is already here. The question is: are you ready to build for it?
Max’s LinkedIn Content Strategy
# 1
Personal Story/Journey Posts
These posts humanize his professional journey and create genuine connections with his audience. By sharing personal experiences and lessons learned, he transforms individual experiences into collective wisdom that resonates with his network.
What makes these posts effective is their authenticity and vulnerability. They often follow a story arc that includes challenges, learnings, and outcomes, making them both relatable and inspirational.
"We recently moved to Austin and my wife didn't know anyone here."
(1,474 reactions, 129 comments, 3 reposts)
# 2
Controversial Opinion/Hot Take Posts
One of Max's most engaging content types involves taking strong stances on industry trends and practices. These posts challenge conventional wisdom and spark meaningful discussions. The key to their success lies in their ability to articulate widespread but often unspoken frustrations within the professional community.
These posts typically begin with a bold statement followed by supporting arguments. They're designed to encourage dialogue and often tackle timely issues in the business world.
"Good riddance to Non-Competes. Loser CEO mentality - 'but but but, what happens if someone I hire goes to work for a competitor?'"
(3,035 reactions, 100 comments, 45 reposts)
# 3
Quick Tips/Actionable Advice
Max excels at delivering concise, practical advice that his audience can implement immediately. These posts typically address common professional challenges or share productivity hacks. Their effectiveness comes from their simplicity and immediate applicability.
The format usually includes a clear problem statement followed by concrete solutions or steps. These posts often generate high engagement because they provide immediate value to readers.
"Work-life hack for your mental health."
(1,523 reactions, 78 comments, 26 reposts)
"Millennials just want to work to live, not live to work."
(1,535 reactions, 120 comments, 104 reposts)
# 4
Content Pillars
1. GTM (Go-to-Market) Strategy
This is clearly Max's primary pillar, with extensive content focused on B2B sales, marketing technology, and revenue operations. His posts frequently discuss GTM frameworks, sales methodologies, and market dynamics in the SaaS space. This pillar shows the highest engagement and frequency in his content, reflecting his deep expertise in this area.
2. Venture Capital & Fundraising
Rather than general entrepreneurship, Max's content heavily focuses on the venture capital ecosystem, particularly in B2B SaaS. He regularly shares insights about fundraising rounds, valuations, and investment strategies, especially through the lens of GTMfund's activities and portfolio companies.
3. B2B SaaS Ecosystem
He often raises discussions about the broader B2B SaaS industry, including market trends, company valuations, and industry developments. His posts often analyze specific companies, market opportunities, and industry transformations.
4. Leadership & Team Building
While not as focused on general management theory, Max's content regularly addresses practical aspects of building and leading teams, particularly in the context of B2B companies and startups.
5. Investment Thesis & Market Analysis
Max is big on the analysis of market opportunities, particularly in early-stage B2B SaaS companies. He frequently shares insights about market conditions, investment criteria, and success patterns in the B2B space.
Max’s Most Viral Moments
"Working From Home isn't the problem. Their management skills are the problem."
(6,875 reactions, 386 comments, 385 reposts)
This post hit different because it was ahead of its time. In 2017, remote work was still controversial, but Max backed his stance with real business logic:
- Opens with a bold, contrarian statement
- Provides clear management principles
- Uses simple bullet points for readability
- Adds credibility by sharing his own company experience
- Shows confidence in remote work before it was mainstream
- Breaks down specific benefits (hiring, cost savings, commute)
The post went viral because it challenged conventional wisdom while providing actionable insights for both employees and managers.
"Good riddance to Non-Competes."
(3,035 reactions, 100 comments, 45 reposts)
This post worked because it:
- Uses simple, direct language
- Speaks to both employees and leaders
- Takes a strong stance on a controversial topic
- Contrasts "loser" vs. "winner" CEO mentalities
- Hits an emotional topic for many professionals
- Shows confidence in good leadership over legal protection
The post resonated because it championed employee rights while challenging CEOs to be better leaders.
"I don't need AirPods, hoodies, or shoes..."
(2,522 reactions, 335 comments, 12 reposts)
Sometimes simple works best. This post went viral because:
- Shows personality
- Uses humor effectively
- Keeps it short and sweet
- Sparks relatable conversation
- Creates easy engagement opportunity
- Highlights a common pain point (unwanted swag)
The high comment count shows how many people related to the swag overload problem in tech.
"Sorry your conference got canceled due to Coronavirus..."
(1,737 reactions, 122 comments, 23 reposts)
This post hit home because it:
- Uses the BANT framework creatively
- Gives clear, two-step outreach strategy
- Breaks down sales tactics vs. emotional intelligence
- Provides actionable advice about timing and empathy
- Shows understanding of both sales and human elements
- Addresses a real-time crisis (COVID conference cancellations)
The post worked because it turned a painful moment into a lesson about authentic sales relationships.
"Millennials just want to work to live, not live to work." (1,535 reactions, 120 comments, 104 reposts)
This post hit different because it tackled millennial workplace expectations at a time when most leaders were just complaining about the generation. Instead of criticism, Max offered a practical framework for organizational change:
- Opens with a powerful truth about generational values
- Explains the educational conditioning behind promotion expectations
- Breaks down specific hiring strategies focused on growth mindset
- Provides detailed org structure examples (SDR to AE progression)
- Shows how to create meaningful career paths
- Maps concrete steps for building purpose-driven culture
The post went viral because it translated generational friction into actionable solutions that worked for both companies and employees.
Wrap Up
The old rules of B2B are dead. But something more powerful is emerging - a new playbook for how business really happens. Max saw this coming years ago, and his GTM playbook shows us exactly what to do:
1. Be Where Conversations Happen
Real B2B decisions don't happen in your funnel - they happen in trusted networks. That means actively participating in key communities, sharing value before you need anything in return, and letting organic discovery drive your growth. Success comes from being part of the conversation, not trying to control it.
2. Build Trust at Scale
Stop chasing metrics that don't matter. Focus instead on building authentic relationships that scale. This isn't about automation or growth hacks - it's about creating genuine connections through consistent value creation. Your network becomes your net worth in the modern B2B world.
3. Embrace AI Wisely
AI will transform how we work, but it won't replace what matters most - human relationships. Use AI to handle routine tasks, but invest your human energy in building real connections. That's why community-first approaches win in an AI-enabled world.
The future of B2B belongs to builders of trust networks. Will you be one of them?
Until next Wednesday,
Keep growing.
Related Resources
Learn How Founders Build Their Brand, Content Strategy and Create Viral Moments
Each week, I breakdown a founder brand, their journey and how you can weave their strategies into yours.
About the author
I'm ANDREW MCGUIRE
SaaS Pipeline Strategy Consultant
I'm helping SaaS Founders build their founder brands and create a pipeline strategy that actually works—by applying what I've learned doing this at SaaS companies for the past 15+ years.
Now, I'm living in Bend, Oregon where I take advantage of all the outdoor adventures.
If you can't find me, I'm probably doing an X3Bar workout, sweating in a sauna or freezing in a cold plunge.
Now I'm on a mission to help you understand pipeline strategy tactics and how founders build their brands on LinkedIn.
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