The GTM10 Awards: Recognizing the best GTM Operators in Software
By Stefan Bader, Co-Founder & CEO of Cello
- The GTM10 Awards recognize the top global GTM operators in Marketing, Sales, Growth, Customer Success, and Partnerships (powered by Cello & Lightspeed Venture Partners).
- Judged by top GTM leaders (Asana, Hubspot etc.) and tier-one VCs (Sequoia, a16z, Lightspeed, Balderton).
- 10 winners per category: 4 from startups, 4 from enterprise, 2 from industry influencers.
- Winners get industry-wide recognition and a Nasdaq billboard feature.
- Nominations are OPEN NOW and close April 24th – Apply or nominate!
For years, startup success stories have focused on groundbreaking products and record-breaking funding rounds. But behind every billion-dollar Software company is a group of operators who turn ideas into scalable businesses. While founders and engineers often take the spotlight, the GTM leaders driving revenue growth have largely gone unrecognized.
That changes now.
“I’ve seen firsthand how the right GTM strategy can make or break a company. The GTM10 Awards are about recognizing the operators who aren’t just talking about growth but are actually delivering it. I’m honored to be part of this initiative.” says Mark Roberge, Founding CRO of HubSpot, Founding Partner at Stage 2 and a jury member for the awards.
The GTM10 Awards – powered by Cello and Lightspeed Venture Partners – is the first global recognition program dedicated to the top GTM operators in Software in:
- Marketing
- Sales
- Growth
- Customer Success
- Partnerships
Judged by a world-class jury of GTM legends like Josh Abdulla (CCO, Asana), Kyle Poyar (Growth Unhinged), and tier-one VCs from firms like Sequoia, Balderton, a16z and Lightspeed Venture Partners, the GTM10 Awards set a new industry benchmark for go-to-market excellence.
If you’re a GTM leader shaping Software, apply now. Know someone brilliant driving Growth? Nominate them today.
GTM: The Make-or-Break Factor
The idea that “if you build it, they will come” has been dead for a while. The best product doesn’t always win – the best GTM strategy does.
Take Figma. It didn’t just build a collaborative design tool; it engineered a viral adoption loop, fueling organic growth that led to its $12.5 billion valuation. HubSpot transformed the way companies think about marketing by executing a category-defining inbound strategy, creating a movement that turned customers into evangelists. And Notion mastered community-led growth, leveraging user enthusiasm to scale faster than traditional enterprise sales ever could.
But while their products are praised, the GTM strategies that propelled them remain an afterthought. In reality, the ability to execute a winning GTM playbook is one of the hardest – and most valuable skills in Software. And the numbers back it up.
A study by OpenView and High Alpha found that 76% of startup founders rank GTM execution as their biggest challenge – outranking product development and cash flow concerns. Another report by Forbes highlights that 50% of startups fail within five years because they struggle to reach and convert customers. Research from Simon-Kucher reveals that “companies with well-defined ideal customer profiles (ICP) see a 68% higher win rate” than those without it.
The GTM10 Awards: A First-of-Its-Kind Recognition
The GTM10 Awards are designed to identify and celebrate the “top 10 GTM operators worldwide across five categories.” The winners won’t just be big-name CMOs and CROs from enterprise giants—they’ll also include the unsung growth hackers, marketing strategists, sales leaders, and partnership executives who quietly define the future of software companies.
Here’s how the awards break down:
- Four winners from startups and scale-ups
- Four winners from Big Tech and enterprise
- Two winners who are GTM content creators shaping the industry with thought leadership
This isn’t just another LinkedIn accolade. Winning a GTM10 Award means being recognized by some of the most respected names in the industry – including executives from Algolia, Asana, Databricks, Shopify, and leading VCs from Sequoia, Balderton, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Beyond prestige, winners will gain high-profile visibility, including a feature on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, positioning them as top-tier GTM talent in the industry. Plus, they’ll receive an exclusive GTM10 award trophy.
Meet the Jury: The Operators Defining Growth
Unlike traditional awards judged by investors only, the GTM10 jury comprises of actual operators and VCs – people who have built and scaled some of the biggest software companies. The panel includes:
Allison Pickens (Former COO, Gainsights & Investor, Advisor)
Mark Roberge (Founding CRO, Hubspot & Founding Partner at Stage2Capital)
Gaetan Gachet (Founding CSO Algolia & EIR, Singular)
David Parry-Jones (CRO, Deepl)
Dave Kellogg (EIR, Balderton Capital)
James da Costa (Partner, a16z)
Ollie George (Head of Exec Talent, Sequoia)
Nicholas Cochran (Global VP Databricks)
Javier Molina (CRO, Docker)
Alexander Schmitt (Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners)
Heidrun Luyt (CGO, Qonto)
Josh Abdulla (CCO, Asana)
Kyle Poyar (Growth Unhinged)
Esther Flammer (CMO, LastPass)
Matt Rosenberg (CRO, Grammarly)
Adrianna Burrows (VP Marketing, Shopify)
Jacqueline de Gernier (SVP, GWI)
Javier Ortega Estrada (CRO, Vimeo)
Sasha Anderson (Global Head of Customer, Canva)
Prelini Udayan-Chiechi (Former SVP Marketing & Growth, Zendesk & Advisor)
The Selection Process and Key Dates
Who can apply?
Any GTM leader who has made a significant business impact. You can nominate yourself, or be nominated by a founder, investor, or peer who has seen your work firsthand.
What are the criteria?
Nominees will be judged on:
- Impact – Have they driven measurable ARR growth or major market expansion?
- Innovation – Have they pioneered new GTM strategies or approaches?
- Visibility and Contribution – Have they influenced GTM best practices at scale?
Key Dates:
- Nominations Open: March 11, 2025
- Nominations Close: April 24, 2025
- Winners Announced: May 21, 2025 onwards
Ready to Recognize the Best in GTM?
For the first time, GTM leaders have a chance to get the recognition they deserve. If you—or someone you know—is a driving force behind Software growth, don’t miss this opportunity.
Nominations are now open. The GTM10 Awards are here. It’s time to put the best GTM minds on the map.
About the Sponsors
Cello is the only all-in-one referral platform that lets you launch a Partner and User Referral program on autopilot in hours. Industry leaders like Typeform, Miro and VEED already rely on Cello to accelerate their flywheel.
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global VC firm investing across enterprise, consumer, fintech, and health sectors. With $30B in AUM, it has backed 500+ companies, including Snap, Anthropic, and Rubrik.
