When you work in go-to-market, you rarely get the chance to slow down — to step away from building systems, running campaigns, and meeting quotas — and just talk shop with people who live and breathe GTM every day.

That’s why GTM Week in San Francisco felt both inspiring and intense.

Last September 14, my co-founder Louise and I landed in SF with one goal: to learn, connect, and see what the best GTM minds in the world are working on.

Day 1: GTM Exclusive Dinner by HeyReach

Our first day in San Francisco kicked off with an exclusive dinner hosted by HeyReach, where only the top 1% of GTM leaders were invited.

It was the perfect kickoff. I finally met Nick Velkovski, HeyReach’s founder, and asked him a few questions I’ve been meaning to ask — like how he scaled the platform and what’s next for outbound automation.

The night turned into a mix of deep conversations and genuine curiosity. I met Brandon Charlesson, founder of Top of Funnel (the guy is basically an AI legend), along with several others who are quietly shaping what GTM will look like over the next few years.

There was this unspoken theme running through every table: the next wave of GTM isn’t just about sending more messages — it’s about building smarter systems and understanding people better than ever before.

Day 2: Laser Tag and GTM Networking

The next day, we swapped the conference rooms for something way cooler — a laser tag event sponsored by HeyReach, OutboundSync, SmartLead, Aimfox, and Zapmail.

I honestly thought there’d be a structured program or panel discussion, but nope — it was pure fun. Just 50+ GTM pros and startup founders running around, playing laser tag, laughing, and actually connecting beyond LinkedIn and Slack.

It was such a refreshing break from the usual conference scene. I finally got the chance to meet Vaibhav, the founder of SmartLead.ai, and chat with him about how they’re pushing cold email automation even further.

And, of course, Louise and I held it down for Team Lead Assassin — both of us made it into the top 10 out of 30 players. Not bad for a couple of GTM nerds.

What I loved about this event was that it wasn’t about selling or pitching — it was about community. It reminded me that behind every great GTM system is just a bunch of smart, curious people trying to build something better.

Day 3: The Big Event — Sculpt Conference

This was the main reason we decided to fly to San Francisco — to attend the first-ever GTM conference, Sculpt.

Almost a thousand people gathered at the Contemporary Jewish Museum on Mission Street, making it one of the most electrifying GTM events I’ve ever been to.

We met everyone — startup founders, agency owners, GTM leaders, the Clay team, and countless builders who are shaping how modern go-to-market systems work.

With Varun and Kareem, The Founders of Clay

With Mo, The Founder of Twan.ai

With Benjamin, The Founder of FullEnrich

With the GTM Legend, Eric Nowoslawski

With Patrick and Lele from the Clay team

And more folks from the community!!!

What made Sculpt different was the energy. It wasn’t about sitting through back-to-back presentations or panels — it was about connecting.

Meeting new people. Learning how others use tools like Clay. Swapping ideas. Exploring ways to collaborate.

We spent the day deep in conversations — trading playbooks, sharing what’s working, and even discovering new perspectives we hadn’t considered before.

By the end of the event, we’d made real friendships. It was surreal meeting people you’ve only interacted with on LinkedIn, and suddenly, you’re face-to-face, geeking out about GTM automation like old friends.

Sculpt wasn’t just a conference. It felt like a community coming to life.

Day 4: Exclusive Rooftop Dinner Hosted by SmartLead.ai

Of course, SmartLead had to host their own meetup — and they did it in style.

As one of the top-performing cold email tools in the market, SmartLead has built not just a product, but a strong, engaged community. Their exclusive rooftop dinner brought that community to life.

This event stood out from the rest. Most of the meetups earlier in the week were filled with GTM and agency owners, but this one had a different mix — startup founders, operators, and people working closely with some of the fastest-growing startups in the world.

The quality of conversations was on another level. It wasn’t just about campaigns or tools — it was about scale, strategy, and the future of outbound itself.

You could feel the energy of people who aren’t just talking about growth — they’re building it every single day.

Day 5: No GTM Meetups — Just Taking It All In

Of course, a trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without taking some time to just breathe and explore the city.

After a packed week of meetups, conferences, and nonstop GTM conversations, Louise and I decided to slow down and enjoy what SF has to offer.

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, rode the Powell & Mason tram, wandered through Haight-Ashbury, and stopped by a few other local spots along the way.

I’ve always believed that traveling is learning — and part of that learning is knowing when to step away from work and simply take things in.

The city, the people, the culture — everything about it was inspiring in its own way.

Reflections: Why GTM Week Mattered

Looking back, GTM Week in San Francisco was more than just a series of events — it was a reminder of why we do what we do.

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of building systems, automating workflows, and helping startups scale. But being in a room (or a laser tag arena) full of founders, GTM leaders, and builders reminded me that go-to-market isn’t just about process — it’s about people.

Every conversation, from late-night chats with other operators and agency owners — carried the same message: the future of GTM is being built by people who care deeply about growth, community, and experimentation.

What stood out to me most was how collaborative the ecosystem has become. Nobody’s gatekeeping.

Everyone’s learning, iterating, and sharing what works — because the goal isn’t just to build your own GTM motion, it’s to help elevate how everyone goes to market.

For me and Louise, the whole trip reinforced what we believe at Lead Assassin:

GTM is about understanding people, solving real problems, and building systems that scale sustainably.

Leaving San Francisco, I didn’t just feel inspired, I felt recharged. Recharged to keep building, collaborating, and helping more founders and revenue teams automate smarter and grow faster.