‍WbD’s Advisory Access Pass equips Notion’s portfolio companies with models, methods, and expert advisory to drive GTM efficiency, as they grow from $1m to $100m in revenue and beyond.

When I first met Jacco van der Kooj on a rainy night in San Francisco in February 2016, I had no idea how much I would learn from him. His passion for sales, boundless energy, and encyclopaedic knowledge of SaaS were striking, but what stood out most was his perspective on SaaS as a system, with sales as a science and growth as an outcome driven by process, not people.

Over the following weeks, I explored the models behind his thinking. His key insight was that SaaS should be treated like a revenue factory—constantly refined and improved. Growth, he argued, is unlocked by systematically removing blockages, with exponential results possible through compounded improvements, retention, and revenue expansion.

Growth is an outcome and a science. Sure there is art as well, but a repeatable GTM relies on well-defined, end-to-end processes that identify what works and what doesn’t. The key is to understand the obstacles to progress and address them systematically. By focusing on incremental improvements, businesses can continuously refine their approach and achieve sustainable growth. Stephen Millard.

Almost nine years later that admiration has grown. Jacco’s extraordinary insights are supported by an exceptional team and world-class resources. One model that stands out, referenced by all our companies, is the data model (aka the bowtie)—a simple yet profoundly valuable model that conceptualises SaaS as a system in which ideal customers are won, retained, and expanded, continuously improving with each iteration.

The "Golden Age of SaaS" (roughly 2012-2021), marked by easy access to capital, inflationary values, high growth and even higher spending, has ended. The world has now shifted to profitability and sustainable growth, rather than growth at all costs. I believe European tech startups are ideally placed to lead this change and drive the next generation of software leaders. Jacco van der Kooij.

We are thrilled to help standardise our portfolio companies’ approach to growth, and offer access to Winning by Design’s vast library of resources, training, and expert guidance across sales, marketing, and customer success.

The Winning by Design Advisory Access Pass provides full access to a library of 400+ assets, including go-to-market playbooks, templates, and blueprints. It offers unlimited 1:1 advisory sessions with certified WbD experts, one advanced certification program per year, and a dedicated account manager for strategic support. Users can customise and use the content internally, and we intend to leverage this system to drive growth consistently and reliably.

As our industry shifts from the "growth at all costs," mentality fueled by free capital, to a focus on sustainable growth, each company must prioritise Go-To-Market (GTM) efficiency and profitability. This doesn’t mean lowering ambitions, but rather recognizing there’s a better way to build companies that scale and endure. The key differentiator between winners and losers will be a commitment to a sustainable, efficient GTM strategy.

Winning by Design’s 'Revenue Factory' model is helping Notion’s companies gain a competitive edge by treating each GTM motion as a revenue production line, delivering measurable and scalable results.

Learn more about Winning by Design and the Advisory Access Pass. If you are a Notion Capital company, drop Stephen Millard an email or message me on Linkedin.