Decoding the Data Model: GTM Precision with Revenue Architecture | Jos de Wit | S4:E4
Manage episode 482250886 series 3644325
In Season 4, Episode 4 of Force and Friction, we continue our Winning by Design Revenue Architecture Series with Jos de Wit, certified Revenue Architect and founder of MNTM.
Jos has helped SaaS and RevOps teams across Europe and North America dismantle faulty assumptions, realign broken processes, and build go-to-market systems that scale with precision.
In this episode, Jos delivers a masterclass on what it really means to “architect” your revenue engine, from foundational data models to unified customer journeys, segmentation, handoffs, and the role of AI in automation.
If your GTM strategy feels like it’s held together with duct tape and dashboards, this conversation will show you how to rebuild it from first principles.
What is the Data Model?
Think of the Data Model as the blueprint of your GTM engine. It maps out what should be happening, how often, how well, and how fast, across every part of the customer journey.
It’s built on three core metric types:
- Volume Metrics (VM)
Volume Metrics tell us how much is happening at each key stage of the GTM journey. They’re often counted in units (leads, opportunities, deals) or revenue (MRR, ARR, LTV), and serve as the raw material of your pipeline. These are the hard numbers. But without context, they mean little. That’s where conversion comes in. - Conversion Metrics (CR)
Conversion Metrics show how well each stage turns into the next. They tell you how efficient your GTM engine is, from top-of-funnel to onboarding to expansion. These are expressed as percentages. Drop-offs between CRs signal friction. Weak CR4? It’s your sales process. Poor CR6? Onboarding or product value isn’t landing. - Velocity Metrics (Δt)
Velocity Metrics measure time. They capture how fast leads and customers move through each phase, and where things might be getting stuck. These are critical for improving cycle time, onboarding experience, and expansion timing. - If your Δt4 is too long, you burn pipeline. If your Δt6 drags, onboarding churn follows. Velocity fuels scale.
Each metric connects directly to a key moment in the Bowtie model, which includes both acquisition (pre-sale) and expansion (post-sale).
Together, these metrics allow RevOps and GTM leaders to not only measure performance, but diagnose what’s breaking, where friction lives, and how to optimize sustainably.
These three categories—Volume, Conversion, and Velocity—form the operational core of your GTM engine. You can’t just focus on one. You need to measure them together, look for gaps, and run diagnostics continuously.
Because here’s the truth:
Growth isn’t random. It’s architected.
And the architecture starts with a model that actually mirrors how your revenue factory works.
Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:
Architect Before You Execute: Why GTM Starts with Data Design
Jos introduces the foundational mindset of Revenue Architecture: You don’t start with the funnel, you start with the Bowtie.
“We often jump into execution with a funnel or tech stack, but if the underlying model isn’t designed first, everything breaks later.”
The Hidden GTM Risk: Bad Assumptions at the Core
One of Jos’s most urgent messages is that bad data models lead to good teams performing poorly. Whether it’s poor ICP definition, mismatched lifecycle stages, or conflicting team incentives, if the system is flawed, results are chaotic.“The CRM isn’
Learn more at www.forceandfrictionpodcast.com
46 episodes