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# Lessons from Shaunt Voskanian
- URL: https://www.antoinebuteau.com/lessons-from-shaunt-voskanian/
- Published: 2026-06-30T17:50:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-18T21:39:37.000Z
- Description: Shaunt Voskanian is a revenue executive known for challenging software-sales conventions while scaling Figma and Datadog. By cutting traditional sales development roles and rethinking quotas for product-led companies, he offers guidance on go-to-market strategy, hiring, and sales teams.
- Author: Antoine Buteau
- Tags: Profile, Tech Entrepreneurs & Founders Profiles

![Visual summary of operating lessons from Shaunt Voskanian.](https://www.antoinebuteau.com/content/images/2026/06/lessons-from-shaunt-voskanian-profile-infographic.webp)

## Lessons from Shaunt Voskanian

As Chief Revenue Officer at Figma and former SVP of Global Sales at Datadog, Shaunt Voskanian helped scale both companies past $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. He built a reputation for discarding standard software sales conventions, specifically by cutting traditional sales development roles and rethinking quotas for product-led companies. This profile compiles his public advice on go-to-market strategy, hiring, and building sales teams.

### Part 1: Rethinking Sales Structures

1. **On traditional SDRs:** "The standard model of splitting prospecting and closing into separate roles creates inefficiencies and blurs accountability for pipeline generation." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On eliminating silos:** Voskanian’s Figma model removes some classic handoff boundaries: AEs own pipeline and expansion is treated as proactive account work rather than a separate customer-success maintenance function. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma eliminating traditional CS and restructuring GTM*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On AE responsibilities:** At Figma, AEs own pipeline generation rather than relying on a separate outbound function, which keeps strategic sellers closer to the full account motion. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma AEs owning pipeline generation*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On customer success:** Voskanian does not frame expansion as passive relationship maintenance; Figma treats it as a hunting motion that identifies gaps between current deployment and optimal usage. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma no-CS and expansion model*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On specialization:** Voskanian splits Figma’s GTM around three motions: pure self-serve, PLG-driven SMB, and sales-led mid-market, enterprise, and strategic accounts. — [*Reference: BigGo business highlight on Figma GTM motions*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On the value of SDRs:** "If you cannot clearly measure the incremental value an SDR brings to a deal, the role itself needs to be questioned." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On organizational design:** Figma’s sales structure follows how customers buy and expand, with different motions for credit-card self-serve, PLG upgrades, and complex enterprise accounts. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma sales-team structure*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On handoffs:** Voskanian’s structure reduces handoffs by keeping ownership close to the account, especially where expansion and product adoption require context. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma no-SDR/no-CS model*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On expansion teams:** Expansion at Figma is active selling: teams map accounts, find deployment gaps, and build champions through insights rather than waiting for renewal conversations. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma expansion as a hunting motion*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
10. **On accountability:** "When you eliminate the SDR function, you remove the ability for account executives to blame marketing or junior staff for a lack of pipeline." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 2: Quotas and Compensation Philosophies

1. **On overinflated quotas:** Voskanian rejects the idea that quota coverage alone de-risks the year; too much assigned quota can create false comfort instead of better execution. — [*Reference: BigGo quote from Voskanian on quota coverage*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On standard quota models:** "Traditional sales targets often push representatives to prioritize fast, easy wins over the complex work required for long-term growth." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On lower quotas for strategic work:** Figma intentionally sets easier enterprise quotas than industry norms because the work is complex, strategic, and insight-driven. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma 3-4x OTE enterprise quota philosophy*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On OTE ratios:** Voskanian is comfortable with roughly 3-4x OTE for enterprise reps when the role demands complex, strategic account work. — [*Reference: BigGo business highlight on Figma enterprise quotas*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On compensation alignment:** His quota philosophy is behavioral: targets should reward the strategic work Figma needs, not simply create arbitrary coverage against a revenue plan. — [*Reference: BigGo quick take on quotas rewarding strategic work*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On volume versus quality:** Voskanian’s enterprise model favors deeper account work and educational insight over forcing strategic reps into a high-transaction motion. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma enterprise account strategy*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On skill-based incentives:** "Incentives should reflect the difficulty of the sale and the specific skills required to navigate a complex enterprise procurement process." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On forecasting:** His quota skepticism also affects forecasting: a plan is not safer just because more quota was assigned; the underlying work and account reality still have to be credible. — [*Reference: BigGo quote on false comfort from quota coverage*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On rep retention:** Voskanian’s easier-quota stance reflects respect for the difficulty of strategic enterprise work; unrealistic targets can punish the very behavior the company wants. — [*Reference: BigGo quote on easier quotas for hard strategic work*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
10. **On target psychology:** Figma wants quotas that feel connected to the real work, so enterprise reps can focus on quality, discovery, and account strategy rather than chasing arbitrary coverage math. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma quota-setting philosophy*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 3: Product-Led Growth (PLG) Strategy

1. **On PLG basics:** "A product-led motion relies on the software itself being so intuitive that users adopt it independently before speaking to sales." — [*Source: Figma*](https://www.figma.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On transitioning from PLG:** Voskanian treats product-led growth as one motion inside a broader revenue system: self-serve adoption matters, but enterprise growth needs deliberate sales coverage around larger accounts. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma revenue motions*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On user value:** In Figma's model, sales is meant to help customers reach a fuller deployment of the product, using account insight and education rather than simply pushing another feature. — [*Reference: BigGo notes on deployment gaps and educational insights*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On inbound demand:** "High inbound demand is a massive advantage, but it can make a sales organization lazy if they do not also learn how to hunt." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On product usage data:** Voskanian wants reps to understand how Figma is actually deployed inside an account, where the gaps are, and what an optimal configuration would look like. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of account mapping and deployment gaps*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On selling to users versus buyers:** Figma has to serve both individual product users and enterprise buyers, so Voskanian separates self-serve adoption from the larger enterprise sales motion. — [*Reference: 20VC episode page on Figma PLG and enterprise revenue*](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/shaunt-voskanian?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On reducing friction:** "The goal of the sales team should be to remove friction from the buying process, not to insert themselves as a mandatory checkpoint." — [*Source: Figma*](https://www.figma.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On community adoption:** Bottom-up usage can create demand, but Voskanian still builds an enterprise motion to turn scattered adoption into an intentional company-wide deployment. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of self-serve, PLG SMB, and enterprise segments*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On hybrid models:** Figma's revenue machine is hybrid by design: self-serve, PLG-driven SMB, and enterprise selling each need their own operating logic. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma revenue segmentation*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 4: The Outbound Motion and Interception

1. **On interception timing:** Voskanian leans toward engaging promising PLG customers earlier rather than later, because expansion conversations often need several rounds before the customer is convinced. — [*Reference: BigGo excerpt on when to intercept PLG customers*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On thoughtful outreach:** Since Figma makes AEs own pipeline generation, outbound has to be account-specific and insight-led rather than a generic sequence layered on top of product usage. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of AE-owned pipeline generation*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On enterprise outbound:** "Enterprise outbound requires identifying the executive buyer who can consolidate hundreds of individual free accounts into a single corporate agreement." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On creating urgency:** Expansion comes from showing the gap between current deployment and better company-wide use, so the seller gives the customer a concrete reason to move beyond free or partial adoption. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of expansion as a hunting motion*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On data-driven prospecting:** Voskanian's version of prospecting starts with account reality: where Figma is deployed, where adoption is incomplete, and which champions can help expand usage. — [*Reference: BigGo notes on account mapping and deployment gaps*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On shifting mindsets:** Moving beyond inbound means asking sellers to generate pipeline themselves and treat expansion as active account work, not as a handoff to another function. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of AE pipeline ownership*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On executive engagement:** "Sales must elevate the conversation from individual features to how the software impacts the company's broader business objectives." — [*Source: Figma*](https://www.figma.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On mapping accounts:** Enterprise reps have to map the account before they sell into it, identifying deployment gaps, current champions, and where the product could be used more completely. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of account mapping*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On proactive selling:** "You cannot wait for the customer to ask to buy; you have to show them why consolidating their usage is in their financial interest." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 5: Hiring, Culture, and Talent

1. **On the top sales trait:** Voskanian screens for curiosity through discovery work, because enterprise sellers need to investigate the customer context instead of just presenting a rehearsed pitch. — [*Reference: BigGo notes on discovery exercises testing curiosity*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On prescriptiveness:** Curiosity is not enough on its own; Figma also values sellers who can turn discovery into useful guidance, educating champions and helping customers see the right path forward. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of educational insights and discovery methodology*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On missionaries vs. mercenaries:** Voskanian is wary of shallow career signals, screening for deal experience, grit, and curiosity rather than people who look like they are simply chasing the next sales title. — [*Reference: BigGo notes on hiring screens and job-hopping patterns*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On interview signals:** The hiring process looks for investigative energy: candidates are tested through discovery work so Figma can see whether they probe, reason, and stay curious under pressure. — [*Reference: BigGo notes on take-home discovery exercises*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On consultative selling:** "We hire people who can act as business consultants to our customers, rather than order-takers who process transactions." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On product affinity:** "A sales representative must actually use and understand the software they are selling; lack of product knowledge instantly destroys credibility." — [*Source: Figma*](https://www.figma.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On resilience:** Voskanian prioritizes candidates who have actually worked complex deals, because enterprise selling requires patience, follow-through, and comfort with long strategic processes. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of complex enterprise deals and hiring for deal experience*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On coaching:** Voskanian does not reduce performance to hiring quality alone; he argues that environment, coaching, and enablement shape whether sales talent actually succeeds. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of coaching and enablement*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On team dynamics:** Voskanian evaluates not just outcomes but how reps show up: collaboration matters because a lone-wolf seller can weaken the broader sales system even when individual numbers look good. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on behaviors, competencies, and collaboration*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 6: Sales in the AI Era

1. **On AI and efficiency:** Voskanian does not treat efficiency as the only goal; with a large customer base already covered by a lean team, he still argues for more strategic sales work where it produces customer value. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on efficiency and strategic sales headcount*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On automated prospecting:** Figma's outbound motion is not generic cold email; reps work from existing customer context and bring proactive insights about how the account could use the product better. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on outbound into existing customers*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On the SDR role's future:** "The rise of AI tools accelerates the obsolescence of the traditional SDR, as software can now handle basic lead qualification more efficiently." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On AI as a copilot:** Voskanian sees room to improve the sales tech stack, especially around making customer stories, CRM context, and enablement knowledge easier for reps to search and use. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on sales technology adoption and knowledge systems*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On human connection:** In Figma's enterprise motion, reps create value by building champions, bringing insight, and navigating complex relationships across the account. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on champions and multi-stakeholder selling*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On workflow automation:** The operational problem Voskanian names is knowledge friction: sales teams need cleaner systems for finding customer stories, market updates, CRM context, and enablement material. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on sales communication and searchability gaps*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On predictive analytics:** "AI allows revenue leaders to predict pipeline risks and accurately forecast revenue with a level of precision that was previously impossible." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On adapting to change:** Voskanian admits future sales-tool adoption needs more attention, because execution pressure can keep a revenue leader from lifting their head to invest in the next operating system. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on future sales-tool adoption*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On strategic value:** The human value in Figma's sales motion is strategic judgment: reps understand businesses, bring useful insights, build relationships, and manage complex multi-stakeholder deals. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on strategic enterprise sales work*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 7: Enterprise Scaling and Growth

1. **On scaling to $1B ARR:** As Figma scaled, Voskanian restructured revenue work around distinct motions: self-serve, PLG-driven SMB, and larger sales-led enterprise accounts. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma revenue restructuring*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On organizational complexity:** Voskanian keeps coming back to focus: if one rep is asked to do too many jobs, the organization should redesign roles so each motion can be executed well. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on focus and specialization*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On upmarket transitions:** "Moving upmarket means selling to the C-suite, which requires a completely different messaging framework compared to selling to end-users." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On procurement:** For large enterprise deals, Voskanian values reps who have lived through long, multi-stakeholder cycles, built champions, and reached economic buyers. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on complex enterprise deal experience*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On market expansion:** Figma's sales motion changed as the company became global and split its coverage across SMB, mid-market, enterprise, and strategic accounts. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on global segmentation*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On data infrastructure:** Voskanian is candid that knowledge systems are a scaling bottleneck: CRM, Slack, enablement, and customer stories need to be easier for reps to search and trust. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on CRM and knowledge-system gaps*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On cross-functional alignment:** "Sales, marketing, and product must operate as a single revenue engine; isolated departments will stall growth." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On land and expand:** "A successful enterprise strategy relies on landing small teams quickly and having a systematic playbook to expand across the entire organization." — [*Source: Figma*](https://www.figma.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On customer retention:** In Figma's model, retention and expansion are strategic revenue work: BigGo notes that net retention improved from 131% to 136% while expansion was treated as proactive account hunting. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of net retention and expansion*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
10. **On maintaining agility:** Voskanian keeps the revenue org adjustable, regularly reconsidering where SDR-like resources, AEs, and transactional renewal work should sit. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on tinkering with sales-resource deployment*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)

### Part 8: Leadership and Management Principles

1. **On leadership accountability:** Voskanian treats quota misses as partly systemic, not just individual failure, and warns that judging reps only by lagging quota outcomes creates lazy leadership. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on quota and lazy leadership*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
2. **On radical candor:** When a high performer damages the team, Voskanian favors direct feedback and coaching first, followed by decisive action if the behavior persists. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on feedback, coaching, and toxic performers*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
3. **On leading by example:** Voskanian keeps leadership tied to the market through customer stories, product launches, ecosystem changes, and the realities reps are facing in strategic accounts. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on market updates and customer stories*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
4. **On strategic focus:** "Management must ruthlessly prioritize what the sales team focuses on, clearing away administrative distractions so they can sell." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
5. **On managing high performers:** Voskanian sees performance as a combination of talent and environment, so leaders need to coach, enable, and hold people accountable before reducing the issue to hiring quality. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on coaching, enablement, and accountability*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
6. **On defining success:** Figma defines performance across results, behaviors, and competencies, so quota is only one part of a broader operating framework. — [*Reference: BigGo summary of Figma performance framework*](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/b1a992b22af4cf42?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
7. **On hiring managers:** Voskanian treats title-seeking as a warning sign, distinguishing healthy ambition for growth from a shallow desire to collect status. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on title fixation and mercenary signals*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)
8. **On dealing with failure:** "A lost deal is only a complete loss if the organization fails to analyze why it happened and adjust the playbook." — [*Source: Tech in Asia*](https://www.techinasia.com/?ref=antoinebuteau.com)
9. **On building trust:** Voskanian wants targets to match the actual job: when reps are doing hard strategic work, Figma sets more favorable quotas so the system rewards the behavior it needs. — [*Reference: 20VC transcript on quota philosophy and strategic work*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klhxOKZ%5Fag&ref=antoinebuteau.com)