Welcome to Engineering Revenue: The Blueprint for GTM Success

Hi, I’m Ashley! As a GTM Engineer at Clay. I spend my days creating scalable, data-driven GTM systems that accelerate growth and drive predictable success for mid-market, enterprise, and fast-growing startups.

Welcome to Engineering Revenue, where I break down the art and science of modern GTM strategies. Whether you're a RevOps leader fine-tuning your tech stack, a GTM specialist hunting for efficiency, or a founder scaling your revenue engine — you'll find practical strategies you can implement today.

No fluff — just real solutions I've tested with teams like yours.

Quick Background: From Founder & Instructional Designer to GTM Engineer

When I first heard "GTM Engineering" in my Clay interview, I questioned if I belonged. My background wasn't traditional—I was an instructional designer who co-founded Mission Collaborative, where we built no-code solutions helping 10,000+ people navigate career transitions.

But after working with GTM teams at major enterprises, I realized my experience transforming complex challenges into systematic processes was exactly what modern revenue teams need. In today's rapidly evolving landscape, GTM success requires both strategic vision and systematic execution.

That's what I do at Clay: help revenue teams scale efficiently and drive measurable results. And while GTM Engineering is my title, it's really a mindset and skill set anyone can master—regardless of their background.

Why I'm Obsessed with GTM Systems (And Why You Should Be Too)

The GTM landscape is shifting faster than ever. New tools and strategies emerge daily, and you're expected not just to adopt them, but master them — all while hitting your numbers.

Most of the leaders I speak with feel stuck:

• Sending “personalized” messages that don’t resonate

• Chasing accounts without clear buying signals

• Using outdated, unreliable data for outreach

• Disconnected tools eating up budget and time

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Building Your Revenue Engine: A Framework for GTM Excellence

Every revenue team I work with faces similar challenges. But rather than jumping straight to solutions, I've found that taking a step back to understand the full picture is crucial.

Think of your GTM motion like a pyramid — inspired by Maslow's hierarchy of needs (yes, that one from Psychology 101). At the base, you have fundamental operations: clean data, and systems to act on it. At the top? Creative tactics that allow you to uniquely connect with your TAM that align with your brand and product.

Here's the reality I see daily: Most teams are stuck at the foundation, wrestling with manual data entry, doing hours of account research, scrolling LinkedIn Sales Navigator list building, and basic operational tasks. They're so consumed with keeping the lights on that they can't focus on what really matters — creating unique and memorable touch points with prospective customers that foster a relationship with your product.

The teams at the top of the pyramid have built such efficient systems that they can focus entirely on creative prospecting and meaningful customer relationships. Their foundation is solid, their processes are automated, and, most importantly, their data is reliable.

It's a simple framework, but it works. More importantly, it's achievable. With the right approach, any team can climb this pyramid

What This Newsletter Is (And Isn't)

This newsletter empowers revenue leaders at mid-market companies, enterprises, and high-growth startups to build scalable, data-driven GTM systems that accelerate growth and drive predictable success.

Here's what you'll get:

• Real examples: Strategic insights and tactical approaches drawn from hands-on work with revenue teams, helping you optimize your RevOps strategy and tech stack.

• Practical systems: Battle-tested frameworks and processes you can implement today to improve your GTM motion.

• Honest insights: Transparent analysis of successful strategies and common pitfalls in GTM execution.

With my background as an instructional designer, I’m trained in breaking down complex challenges into simple, actionable steps. My goal is to cut through the never-ending noise, make sense of what’s happening, and help you engineer revenue for your team in ways that feel manageable, not overwhelming.

I’ll share tested strategies and insights as I work with revenue teams, so you can focus on what actually drives results.

This is just the start. I'm excited to learn with you and build something valuable together.

Your GTM Engineer,

Ashley A.

P.S. Struggling with a specific revenue challenge? Reply and let me know! I would love to tackle it and write about it in this newsletter.