Editor’s note: This podcast appearance dates from 2016, when Dave Govan was serving as CRO of Dynamic Yield, an AI personalization SaaS company. The discussion on building a Total Universe of Accounts — disciplined ICP targeting, signal-based segmentation, and focused selling — is foundational go-to-market strategy that is more relevant than ever in today’s AI-driven B2B market. Dave now brings this same operator-led approach to clients through G2 Strategic Advisory Services.
BC Startup Sales Podcast — Creating a Customer Landscape with Dave Govan
Dave Govan joined the Bowery Capital Startup Sales Podcast to discuss one of the most foundational GTM strategy concepts for B2B companies: building a Total Universe of Accounts — a disciplined, data-driven approach to identifying and prioritizing the companies most likely to buy your product.
Key Concepts Covered
- Vertical segmentation: Why focusing on 2–3 core verticals outperforms broad horizontal targeting, especially in early-stage companies
- Non-traditional segmentation criteria: Why traditional metrics like employee count and revenue often fail in SaaS and MarTech — and what to use instead
- Signal-based filtering: Practical techniques for identifying high-propensity accounts using data sources, technology stack signals, and behavioral indicators
- Cohort-based selling: How to identify micro-segments within your total universe that deserve elevated attention or enterprise-level pursuit
- Sales and marketing alignment: How a well-defined Total Universe of Accounts eliminates the classic MQL disagreement between sales and marketing
- List sizing by stage: Why a seed-stage company should target 500 accounts while a growth-stage company may target 8,000–10,000
Why This Remains Relevant in an AI-Driven Market
The principle of disciplined account targeting has only become more important as AI transforms B2B selling. Today, AI-powered tools can identify buying signals, map organizational hierarchies, and prioritize accounts with far greater precision than was possible in 2016. But the strategic foundation — knowing exactly which accounts to pursue and why — remains the starting point for all effective GTM execution.
At G2 Strategic Advisory Services, Dave applies this same operator-led thinking to help founders and revenue leaders build focused, high-performance GTM engines using modern AI-enabled targeting tools.
Read the Full Podcast Transcript
The full transcript of the Bowery Capital podcast has been preserved below for reference.
NP: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the Bowery Capital Startup Sales Podcast. Today, we have with us Dave Govan who is the Chief Revenue Officer of Dynamic Yield. How’s it going today, Dave?
DG: It’s going great, NP. Thanks for having me.
[Full transcript available on the Bowery Capital blog]
Dave Govan is the Founder and CEO of G2 Strategic Advisory Services. Learn more about G2SAS’s GTM & Revenue Advisory services or schedule a brief conversation.