Susmitha Akula Vakkalanka

Pioneer
DISC Type : IDS

Fractional CMO @ High Growth AI Startups at Fractional CMO

San Jose, California, United States

Overview

Susmitha is a marketing executive specializing in go-to-market and product marketing for high-growth AI and SaaS startups. She builds and scales marketing functions to accelerate growth, having led teams at Opsera and Jumpshot. People who have worked with her describe her as a thoughtful, passionate, and strategic leader.

Susmitha holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a Master of Science from Virginia Tech, providing her with a strong foundation in both business and technology. Her work often involves collaborating closely with major ecosystem partners like GitHub and AWS.

At Jumpshot, she developed a playbook that drove 2x year-over-year revenue growth, establishing the company as a key partner for top eCommerce brands.

Personality Overview

Dynamic But Sincere

Friendly But Fast

Decisive But Friendly

They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)  They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product

Topics They Care About

Go-to-Market Strategy
Her entire career is focused on leading GTM, product marketing, and revenue strategies for high-growth SaaS companies like Opsera and Jumpshot.
Scaling AI Startups
Her current role as a Fractional CMO is dedicated to helping AI startups scale. Her experience includes work at AI-driven companies like Opsera and Blueshift.
DevOps Platforms
As VP of Marketing at the AI-powered DevOps platform Opsera, she was deeply involved in the DevOps space and participated in industry events like Dreamforce.

Media Appearances

Susmitha has no verified media appearances

Work History

2-2024
Fractional CMO @ High Growth AI Startups at Fractional CMO
2-2020 - 2-2023
VP Marketing at Opsera
VP of Marketing at Jumpshot Inc
Head Of Marketing at Blueshift
Head of Product Marketing, Video Platform, AI and Analytics Products at Ooyala

Education

Master of Business Administration - MBA from Santa Clara University
Master of Science - MS from Virginia Tech

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 4 Location : San Jose, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Fractional CMO @ High Growth AI Startups at Fractional CMO
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Insights For Selling To Susmitha Akula

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘your decision will’, ‘you will impact’ etc.
  • Build a trustworthy relationship while keeping the product center-stage
  • During followups, use calls or text if needed, they should be fine

DONT's

  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a formal approach
  • Don’t be very informal during the early interactions even if they are being so themselves
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Susmitha Akula is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Susmitha Akula

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Susmitha Akula move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can Susmitha Akula take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And Susmitha Akula

Personality Compatibility


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