Ignite Startups: Elio Narciso on Automating Sales with AI at ScaleStack | Ep104

Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society

In this episode of the Ignite podcast, Brian Bell welcomes Elio Narciso, founder and CEO of ScaleStack, a portfolio company of Team Ignite. The conversation kicks off with excitement as ScaleStack has just secured an investment from Brian's fund. Elio shares his journey from Italy to the United States, beginning his career in management consulting, later pursuing an MBA at MIT, and ultimately diving into entrepreneurship. ScaleStack is his fourth startup, and he explains how the company aims to streamline go-to-market data for sales and marketing teams through automation and AI. Elio recounts his experience at AWS, where he played a pivotal role in scaling the company's global startup program. His time there shaped his understanding of data inefficiencies in CRM systems, which inspired the creation of ScaleStack. ScaleStack tackles common issues such as poor data quality and inefficient sales processes, leveraging AI to clean, enrich, and prioritize data. This, in turn, boosts productivity for sales teams, as Elio explains that up to 72% of reps’ time is spent on non-selling activities. With ScaleStack’s solution, companies can save significant time and improve overall sales performance. The conversation also delves into Elio’s leadership principles, drawing from his experiences at Amazon, where he embraced their "bar raiser" culture. He highlights Amazon’s customer-obsession mindset, emphasizing the importance of working backwards from customer needs to build products. The two discuss the challenges and rewards of founding a startup, including Elio’s deliberate choice to bootstrap ScaleStack before joining an accelerator program. As they close the conversation, Elio shares his future vision for ScaleStack, positioning it as a workflow company that empowers businesses to automate tedious tasks, allowing humans to focus on higher-value activities.

Chapters:

• Introduction to Elio Narciso & ScaleStack (00:01 – 01:03)
• Elio's Background and Career Journey (01:03 – 02:44)
• Lessons from AWS and the Startup Ecosystem (02:44 – 05:29)
• The Decision to Leave AWS and Start ScaleStack (05:29 – 07:31)
• Amazon's Leadership Principles and Their Influence (07:31 – 12:00)
• Identifying the Go-To-Market Problem and Building ScaleStack (12:00 – 16:18)
• The Importance of Data Quality in CRM Systems (16:18 – 19:57)
• The Founding Team & Initial Product Development (19:57 – 22:25)
• Fundraising Journey and Investor Relations (22:25 – 24:53)
• Challenges and Opportunities in Go-To-Market Innovation (24:53 – 26:05)
• Dogfooding at ScaleStack: Using AI to Sell AI Solutions (26:05 – 27:04)
• Accelerators and Their Impact on Startups (27:04 – 31:28)
• The ROI of AI and Automation in Sales Operations (31:28 – 37:36)
• The Future of AI in Sales and Marketing (37:36 – 41:55)
• ScaleStack’s Vision for the Next 5–10 Years (41:55 – 46:38)
• Rapid Fire Q&A with Elio Narciso (46:38 – 50:24)