Episode
Scaled MongoDB From $35M to $2B — Why He HATES the Word Playbook
- Podcast
- Hunters and Unicorns
- Published
- Jun 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3370
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Summary
What does it really take to scale a software company from $35M to $2B ARR? In this episode of Hunters & Unicorns, Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Dan Barrett, SVP International at Figma and former MongoDB leader, to unpack the lessons behind one of SaaS's most remarkable growth stories. Dan shares why he hates the word "playbook," how MongoDB evolved through multiple sales transformations, and why the best leaders focus on developing people—not following a rigid process. The conversation explores authenticity in leadership, building high-performance teams, scaling PLG and enterprise sales motions, customer success, AI's impact on software sales, and the leadership lessons that helped Dan grow from a first-time manager into one of the industry's most respected sales leaders. In this episode: • Scaling MongoDB from $35M to $2B ARR • Why Dan hates the term "playbook" • The leadership epiphany that changed his career • Building trust without fear or intimidation • PLG vs enterprise sales models • What great sales organizations do differently • How to develop future sales leaders • Why authenticity is a leadership superpower • AI, SaaS, and the future of enterprise sales Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders building the next generation of SaaS companies. #HuntersAndUnicorns #DanBarrett #Figma #MongoDB #SalesLeadership #SaaS #EnterpriseSales #PLG #CustomerSuccess #b2bsales Timestamps: 0:00 — Trailer 1:02 — Introduction & Sponsor 1:56 — Welcome Dan Barrett 2:35 — Dan's Career & the Epiphany Moment 9:00 — Pressure Before the Epiphany 10:02 — QBRs With John McMahon 11:50 — Fighting for Space to Change 13:37 — From MongoDB to Figma 17:21 — Where PLG Goes Wrong 19:00 — Rethinking the Playbook 23:55 — Learning What Works at Figma 31:46 — Playb…